Dangriga assesses flood damage to be half million

Dangriga Town, as well as Hope Creek and Sarawee, experienced some effects of TD2. The waters have receded, allowing the Emergency Operations Center to conduct an evaluation of the damage caused. Today News Five spoke to retired Major Gilbert Swaso, Mayor of Dangriga Town and Chairman of NEMO Dangriga. He told us that a preliminary assessment has estimated damages at more than half a million dollars.

Via phone: Gilbert Swaso, Mayor, Dangriga Town

Gilbert Swaso

“The damage assessment was completed on Wednesday evening and a tally of all the total damages was completed yesterday. Four teams were deployed – one team to Mullins River, a team to Sarawee, a Team to Hope Creek and certainly a team here in Dangriga. The assessed damage at this time is calculated at three hundred and thirty-eight thousand three hundred and seventy-five dollars and this includes the culvert on the southern Highway and the bridge on the coastal road. The damage assessed in Hope Creek, Sarawee and Mullins River was mostly household items and that totaled sixty-eight thousand dollars. Agricultural damages were also recorded in the areas of Sarawee, Hope Creek and Mullins River, and also there was a team that did some assessment in Red Bank and that totaled a minimum of thirty-two thousand seven hundred and seventy-five dollars and the agricultural crops included cassava plantations, plantain, hot peppers and also included 100 chickens that drowns and 1000 tilapia. In Dangriga it was primarily infrastructure damage and that was assessed at a minimum of two hundred thousand dollars. There are also other people within Dangriga who are reported to have some household damage and those are also being calculated at this time at this time.  The public health also conducted a survey and assessment of the public drinking water and that has been deemed to be safe for consumption so again that is fully operational at this time.”

The damage assessment has been passed on to the National Emergency Coordinator in Belmopan and from there onto relevant channels in government which will process aid for those affected.