Grenada’s Govt says millions needed to repair damage caused by rains

The Government of Grenada said Tuesday that millions of dollars would be required to repair and/or replace public infrastructure damaged or demolished by the flooding caused by the excessive rainfall the country has been experiencing since November 8.

“This will run the Government and taxpayers of Grenada into millions of dollars,” Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell told a news conference, where he updated the nation of the ongoing effects of the excessive rainfall which cause flooding, landslides and rivers to burst their banks.

Mitchell said that his administration is clearly aware of the significant cost, damage and inconvenience that this has caused and will continue to cause.

“In addition to the ongoing clean-up efforts being undertaken by the Ministry of Infrastructure and the various contractors and cleaning crews and road officers as well as the Ministry of Mobilisation, Implementation and Transformation we are also going to have to provide things like housing assistance, clothing, food to families who have been impacted by the flooding,” he said.

The Met office has recorded 235 millilitres of rain at the Point Salines area while data from the rain gauges around the country is yet to be tabulated. However, since November 8, the country has been affected by a low-level trough that is also affecting other countries in the region.

Prime Minister Mitchell said that while the unforeseen expenditure had been budgeted for in the 2024-25 main or supplementary budgets, the decision made after Hurricane Beryl in July to suspend the Fiscal Responsibility Act and invoke the Hurricane Clause in international agreements, would assist.

“I want to emphasize that for the many who criticize the government for being prudent by suspending and invoking the debt repayment clause that we could have the necessary liquidity to deal with those situations,” he said, noting that assistance will also have to be provided to families affected by flooding and/or landslides.

“We are going to have to provide assistance to people to help clean up their homes and in some instances, we are going to in fact rebuild or move persons out of the areas in which they are living because of the risks that have now developed from some of the landslides.”

“As a government we are going to do everything to make sure we have the fiscal space to be able to respond to the various challenges that we face. This is coming at enormous financial challenges to the taxpayers of this country, we are going to spend enormous sums of money, fixing the roads, addressing the bridges, doing both river and sea defences,” PM Mitchell said.

At least one person died, and several homes were affected as a result of the rains. —ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada (CMC)

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