By Staff Writer
ROSEAU, Dominica, Apr 26, CMC – The Dominica government is meeting in an emergency session on Sunday night after heavy rains caused widespread flooding, landslides, and damage to several properties.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, speaking on the state-owned DBS Radio, said that while so far there has been no reported loss of life as a result of the rains that began battering the island from Saturday, many areas, particularly in the eastern districts, were hard hit.
“I was out there… and I saw the resilience and determination of our people. I want to say this evening, Dominicans shall prevail. We have walked this road before, we have fought and triumphed over adversity, and we shall do it again this time around.
“This evening, I want to say that no matter how challenging and daunting your experience was today, it could have been worse. We got a hard knock, but it could have been worse,” Skerrit said, adding, “I have called a special meeting of Cabinet for this evening, because we intend to hit the road tomorrow morning, running”.
Skerrit has not given any preliminary figure as to the extent of the damage caused by the rains, which he said had been a consequence of climate change, saying, “I have already spoken to our regional and international partners, and I want to say to those severely impacted by this weather system, your government is on the job.
“We shall visit, we shall assess, and we shall assist This evening, I want to appeal to neighbours to be neighbours. Don’t wait for a call, don’t wait for someone to come knocking. If you see someone in distress or a dangerous situation developing, jump in and lend a helping hand.
“Open your doors to your neighbours. Open your yard to your neighbours’ animals. Be a good neighbour this evening and for the next few days, and allow us to assess conditions and formulate a response mechanism,” he said, adding the rescue teams and others were already engaged in clearing roads, landslides, and other debris.
Skerrit said that Dominicans should not be “asking why us,” saying “we shall play the hand we have been dealt.
“Let us consider for a moment that there are not many around us here in Dominica who can respond in the flick of an eye to a crisis such as this. Tonight, we have been thrown a challenge, and together we shall confront and overcome it,” he said, urging people to guard against live electricity wires.
“Do not go tampering. If in doubt, leave out. And so I want to say to us here in Dominica tonight that we are on the ball, and this government will respond as we have on many, many occasions to the impacts of natural disasters on the livelihoods, the lives, and our community,” he said.
Skerrit said that while the eastern districts were the most affected, other parts of the country were also affected by the heavy rains, and that the foreign contractors engaged in the construction of the international airport here have volunteered to help in the rehabilitation efforts.
“But, of course, we had situations yesterday where some homes got, I could say, destroyed because the slide took them away,” he said, noting that in some cases, they were homes that people just built.
“They were enjoying the homes, and here comes a natural disaster. And this is not even a hurricane. You know, this is not a hurricane, but we understand how these natural disasters are impacting our livelihoods and our way of life in Dominica.
“But, rest assured, we will be there to support those who have been impacted,” he said, adding, “we have to understand the impact of climate change on Dominica.
“Now, 15 years ago, you would get a whole week of rain and no flooding. But now, with the advent of climate change, it has changed. Our way of life has changed. And so rain has been falling for the entire day, from yesterday afternoon, actually, in some parts, especially in the east of Dominica. And, of course, the saturation of the soil has been compromised. And we have these major slides in those parts
“I think everyone took precautions because we have had no injuries. And I thank God for that. And people were just waiting for the rain to stop, to subside, so that they themselves could go out and venture out and assess for themselves what needed to be done. And that’s what’s happening now in Dominica,” Skerrit told radio listeners.
CMC/c/gr/ir/2026