UPDATE: Flooding in Layou – again

National Disaster Coordinator Nathaniel Issac has acknowledged that there are challenges for persons seeking to traverse the Layou River area after heavy rainfall last evening and has cautioned the public to be exceedingly careful.

Traffic flow was impeded for a number of hours earlier today after rising waters covered several section in the area.

Issac said, “We’ve received reports that earlier today there was flooding in the Layou River area. As [the public] would be aware, we have had issues in that area since the Matthieu Dam incident a few months ago. What has happened is that the river bed is very high and as a result any significant amount of rainfall could cause the river to overflow its banks, [as was the case this morning].”

He also mentioned that the water levels have receded adequately to allow for resumption in vehicular traffic flow through the area.

“We recently visited Layou, about 12 o’clock today and the water had receded and vehicles were able to traverse the area. We have put up signs in that area indicating that the area is prone to flash floods and we have continued to warn persons, so they need to exercise caution. We would expect that to continue happening during periods of heavy rainfall until the river bed has dropped,” he remarked.

Issac therefore, declared that motorists driving through the area be cautious as flash flooding will remain a serious concern until the Ministry of Public Works have dealt with the problem.

He concluded, “We know that the Ministry of Public Works is working towards getting it to the original level and that will take some removal of the sand but that will take some time so we ask persons to exercise caution when traversing that area.”

Photos by Terry Ettienne

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72 Comments

  1. mmmmmmmmmmmm
    January 1, 2012

    they keep puting sand on the bank of the river :wink: :( :(

  2. November 10, 2011

    wow

  3. geron
    October 21, 2011

    dominicans are nieve and they dont know reality, wake up my people,listerning the the world around u see whats happening thank jah for life and everything it comes with, learn live love and enjoy,stop complaining, u all are beggers,leaches,hungers mungers to the outside world with this comments u post on facebook

  4. Jennifer
    October 21, 2011

    This appears to be an exceptionally staid dilemma and until there is lose of life, nothing will be done The waterway is tremendously shallow, and until it is excavated the predicament will get more and more rigorous. I urge the government to handle this immediately or else there will be a tragedy of catastrophic proportion considering the fact that it rains in the Belles area relentlessly when there is not a drop of rain in the remnants of the country, it has and will always be that way. Please handle the situation in a timely manner.

  5. FLORIDA
    October 21, 2011

    This is an opportunity for the government to sell the sand and use that money to fix the roads. The road in Layou need to be elevated.

  6. LCM
    October 21, 2011

    DO YOU REALIZE EVERYTIME THE RIVER FLOODS IT IS DEPOSITING MORE SEDIMENTS. IF NOTHING IS DONE SOON THE RIVER IS GOING TO CHANGE IT COURSE ON THE LAYOU FLATS

    THEY SHOULD HAVE STARTED AT LEAST DREGGING THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER WHICH WOULD GIVE IT MORE DOWN CUTTING POWER AND ALLOW THE SEDIMENTS TO BE TRANSPORTED DOWNSTREAM INSTEAD OF BEING DEPOSITED ON THE BANKS AND SMALL FLOOD PLAIN. USE THE SAND TO REPLENISH OTHER BEACHES ON THE WEST COAST

  7. Who cares?
    October 20, 2011

    Toxic fumes from Gardakhan’s Asphalt Plant slowly killing the villagers of Layou. The French co. was given a license to build that plant close to the village thus affecting the health of the entire community. Poor Layou villagers. See how the authorities facilitated Gardakhan to build the asphalt plant. The villagers have been fooled into believing that Govt. would not allow the erection of an Asphalt Plant, as Govt. promised them.

    Presently, again the villagers of Layou facing serious flooding from the Layou River as a result of the Matthieu dam fiasco. There seem to be a do-not-know-what to-do attitude towards mitigating the devastation looming ahead. Incompetence, inefficiency prevails. We are still in the hurricane season, yet there is a go slow in dredging, in taking off material piled up in the river. That is the cause of that recent flood in the area.

    The river bed is the same level or almost same level with the road. Any heavy or 1-2 hours of rain and trouble. How much again could the poor people of Layou suffer? To add to their suffering, they will be witnessing some Cos. making plenty $$$$$$$$ through the sale of sand/tarish from the area,while no benefits would come to them or their village.

    $27,000,000.00 for fulfilling the whims and fancies of a few in power presently. Millions for building a State Palace/malace, but the rural areas and the productive sectors struggling like hell. The standard of living of many, many people in the rural areas are declining day by day. The entire West coast will be in serious problems as a result of the negligence of the authorities. Quickly dredge the river and create space for the flow of the river, otherwise prepare for the worse in time. Layou village will go under. More suffering. More inconveniences. But who cares?

  8. Alice
    October 20, 2011

    Go”s gift to us create white sand beaches.
    use the sea when river is flooding. no problem.

  9. Alice
    October 20, 2011

    God gave us something to create white sand beaches. Use the sea for transportation when it is flooded until we can do better.

  10. Annoyed!
    October 20, 2011

    DO you think the river bed will magicically drop?? ofcourse NOT! It has been just under 3 months since the Mattieu dam flood and NOTHING constructive has been done to the river! All they did was take the sand out and pile it along the banks! Only for it to gradually fall back in the river! Since TS ophelia, ALL other rivers have been cleaned up, leaving the layou river, the BIGGEST problem of all, in the dust! TIME TO START DREDGING THE RIVER!

    • Jennifer
      October 21, 2011

      Annoyed I could not agree with you more

  11. B.O.B
    October 20, 2011

    Jus now I’ll have to get a boat and leave it Layou for me to make my moves man? lol

  12. di teacher
    October 20, 2011

    i dont know why layou river is flooding so much

    • Jennifer
      October 21, 2011

      Because the damn river bed needs dredging, that’s why

  13. yes I
    October 20, 2011

    We need street lights in this area because when traveling at nights the area is very dark and one cannot tell whether there is water on the road or not until your vehicle gets onto the area with the water.I am suggesting that street lights be placed in the area from the old gas station to the former public works office.I know the issue of poles might come up but the lighting is necessary as it will prepare you in advance to any possible danger,I traverse this area daily and at nights you cannot tell before hand whether the river is on the road or not as it is impossible to see ahead of the lights from your head lamps.So please help save lives and consider this idea for it is possible that one can drive right into raging waters due the darkness in that area.

  14. amail
    October 20, 2011

    Nature at work…sadly this island dominica takes nothing serious and does not have priority as key in terms of what is important…

    dont expect too much of dominica them days its all lost..just feel for the folks in that area…but where there is no vision the people will certianly perish!!

  15. Phillis
    October 20, 2011

    Mybe some kind of wall should be build closer to the road, that might just help solve some of the problem.

    • Jennifer
      October 21, 2011

      No wall is going to help the problem, in layman’s term dig the damn river or else it will wash away layou. The people in that area need to rage a demonstration on the government and the entire west coast for that matter. What happen they want people to come from Layou and go through the Carib Territory when they have an emergency or what?

  16. dominican abroad
    October 20, 2011

    The government of dominica should contract with DUBIE to sell water and sand to thier country, the country of Dubie is dry and need water all the country in the middle east need water, if dominica buy a few badges to export the water to the middle east country we could be sitting on a cold mine.we can of set the cost of fueling the badges by raising the price of water.

    • Malatete
      October 20, 2011

      Please, tell us where DUBIE is , you ignoramus.
      Middle East have plenty of sand already, it is mostly desert if you did not know!

    • amazing
      October 20, 2011

      it’s Dubai chief. there is no such country called DUBIE LOL!!!!!!! :lol:

    • FED UP DOMINICAN
      October 21, 2011

      Yes Dubai needs water, but they manage very well with what they have, and they certainly do not need more sand. As for exporting the water/sand by badges, well Dominica will not make any money there, a badge will not hold much (if any) sand/water.

      Dubai is NOT a country, just one of 7 emirates(cities) forming the United Arab Emirates.

  17. Anonymous
    October 20, 2011

    THAT AWAYS HAVE 2 HAPPEN THEY 2 GREEDY LET PPL TAKE THE SAND STOP PILEING IT UP CLEAR THE RIVER FOR GOD SAKE STUUUUUUUUUUUUPES

  18. RC
    October 20, 2011

    Would Nath Isaac stop using the word “persons” when referring to the “public”. Why don’t you use the word “public” or “motorists” or “commuters”. Nath the constant use of the word “persons” whether in sports, calypso or disaster gives a negative impact on the quality of your presentations. Listen to yourself.

  19. DOMINICA
    October 20, 2011

    Nat with all due respect, how will the river bed drop?

  20. Anthony P. Ismael
    October 20, 2011

    I feel for Layou once more. Unfortunately, Layou is suitated in a flood-zone. That being said, people residing near the sea area should be relocated to highter ground. There is an abundance of land within that area that can be used for housing. Secondly, the road has to be relocated with an alternate route or else this issue will be an expensive recurring budgeting burden for the Ministory of Communication and Works. This is a 17 year issue, dating back to 1994. It is quite obvious that the engineers have not figured out how to properly address constant flooding in that area.

  21. Good Ways
    October 20, 2011

    Personally i think the powers that be are both clueless and plan-less on what to do and also penny-less to even try something and to shame to say so.

  22. Prophet
    October 20, 2011

    The God of heaven sent the sand to help the people of Dominica,why should we play greedy for it let people carry the sand to help them selves and clear the river base instead of letting Jack and other foreign company’s take it and re sell it to us that is a blessing from God to Domi9nicans let us have it please and the river will stop.

  23. Cassandra
    October 20, 2011

    Most of the sand at Layou has been exported thus far.
    For local construction we invariably depend on Ph. Williams, who get their supply from another location. So, the question must be asked. What benefits have accrued to whom from the sand exploration at Layou to date? How much did end up in Govt. coffers? It seems we are more concerend with potential monetary gain for a few than the welfare of our country, the state of our infrastructure and the people who are directly affected by such natural disasters. I understand that after the first torrent came down security was posted along the Layou to stop people from helping themselves to sand rather than concentrate on helping out those , who got marooned and suffered damage. It is simple enough to place a dredger at the mouth of the river and suck up the sand to be either a) deposited further out to sea b)loaded on to barges and perhaps this could be done in a deal with the dredging contractor where sand is supplied as (part) payment for their service c) deposit the sand alongside the river bank to raise the level of the low lying ground at Hillsborough that habitually gets flooded and so help retain the river bed, prevent future flooding and safeguard the main road. To combine all three options may well be the ideal solution. Don’t let a windfall for a few become a problem for everybody else. The country’s interest should always come first.

  24. Just saying...
    October 20, 2011

    I say tell all people that building in Dominica to come for sand. I mean we need to get rid of it now and apparently finding a buyer is a long process and we dont have time

  25. WHO OWN D LAYOU SAND
    October 20, 2011

    Someone self styled THE PRINCE OF HARLEM wrote a blogg on the DOMINICA DIASPORA NETWORK about WHO OWNED THE SANDS IN LAYOU…brief article yet interested. I think you could take some look at it.

    ARE WE AS SOME WRITER HAS SAID : THE VICTIM OF OUR OWN INTELLIGENCE ?”

    Some times the things we say and do gives the impression that we are taking great pride in that BADGE OF IGNORANCE !

    • My2Sense
      October 20, 2011

      A link to the article please…

  26. hush your damn mouth
    October 20, 2011

    well stop juging the gorvenment things don’t work like that u have to get contracts to sell sand so i don’t no why they saying sell the sand lol

  27. Stranger
    October 20, 2011

    It’s easy to say to dig the river but I’m sure some of you have never tried to walk up in the area to assess what actually happened for yourselves and not go on second hand information. In some places the river bed got higher by more the 10ft, it was amazing to see the amount of sand that came down with it.

    I agree that it needs to be dug and in all fairness some of it has actually been started. The main problem is that for years upon years now since this disaster started sand has constantly been coming down. I don’t think based on observation it is any worse but before we start making assumptions lets make plans.

    The first step would be to try determine if there is actually a market for the sand, then how big is it and what would be the cost associated with it because anyone who has an idea of business will tell you that not all ventures are profitable even though they seem practical to the ordinary individual.

    I must agree with most of you that something has to be done but lets try to look beyond the politics of things because most times in Dominica that is what Blinds us or prevents us from being reasonable.

    • Anonymous
      October 20, 2011

      then they can use the sand to renew the beaches.

      • forreal
        October 20, 2011

        before i read your post ,this is exactly what i thought about,st joseph for example,which is so close by.

  28. Stranger
    October 20, 2011

    It’s easy to ask just say to dig the river but I’m sure some of you have never tried to walk up in the area to assess what actually happened for yourselves and not go on second hand information. In some places the river bed got higher by more the 10ft, it was amazing to see the amount of sand that came down with it.

    I agree that it needs to be dug and in all fairness some of it has actually been started. The main problem is that for years upon years now since this disaster started sand has constantly been coming down because people in the area, I don’t think based on observation it is any worse but Before we start making assumptions lets make plans.

    The first step would be to try determine if there is actually a market for the sand, then how big is it and what would be the cost associated with it because anyone who has an idea of business will tell you that not all ventures are profitable even though they seem practical to the ordinary individual.

    I must agree with most of you that something has to be done but lets try to look beyond the politics of things because most times in Dominica that is what Blinds us or prevents us from being reasonable.

  29. Anonymous
    October 20, 2011

    Priorities?????????????????????

  30. wow
    October 20, 2011

    The solution to the river is SSOOOOOOO EASY TO FIX it’s not even funny. The riverbed is now almost flat even with the road. This is going to happen EVERY TIME until somebody decides to dig out the riverbed and make it several feet deeper.

    What to do with the sand? Well since it’s freshwater sand and doesn’t need to be rinsed, it’s easier to handle. Once it’s been dug out and dried, you could either A) ship it off somewhere or B) put it on one of the several beaches in Dominica that’s loaded with rocks, with little to no sand. Just take the time to remove the most of the rocks and then put the sand there in its place.

    But obviously, the more it rains, the more sediment that’s going to run down, and the even higher yet the riverbed will rise.

    • ok
      October 20, 2011

      fair enough. but do you realise planning such a venture is alot harder than actually saying it???

    • 1979 LIVES!!!
      October 20, 2011

      ADMIN NO NAME NO WARRANT!!!

      • November 4, 2011

        Ok ,I believe it’s time to put all cards on the table.Start negociating to reallocate the entire village of Layou and creat a safer acess around the flooding areas.

  31. RAS
    October 20, 2011

    We have sand to sell to to whole caribbean. This is our gold. That government sleeping

    • Keep on dreaming
      October 20, 2011

      Not to disapoint you but other islands including Montserrat have loads of sand to sell so forget about the “gold mine” and come back to earth.

      • RAS
        October 20, 2011

        I AM ON EARTH. YOU ARE SLEEPING WAKE UP.

    • hmmm
      October 20, 2011

      you realise that the sand has lots of debris in it and not anybody would take it cuz its use would be limited?

  32. Anonymous
    October 20, 2011

    ALL THIS BECUZ OF GREED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THERE ARE SO MANY POOR DOMINICANS THAT NEED SOME SAND… BUT NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I C…………… GREED WILL CUZ US TO LOOSE SOME LIVES ONE DAY IN LAYOU!!!!!!!!!!!

  33. MARCIE
    October 20, 2011

    I’M SEEING A BOAT ON THE ROAD, NOW I REMEMBER WE WERE PROMISED A MARINA. THANKS FOR FULFILING THAT PROMISE

  34. me
    October 20, 2011

    I agree we can make some money from the sand but lets forget about the money for a while. This is getting more serious and I think our leaders, whoever they are, should take some bold decisions and get that problem solved. We have so many friends all over the small world we created for ourselves, why don’t the get some help from the. State malace, state palace, that money would come in hand now to get all the work needed to solve this problem. With that said….look out for the chinese to get a mojor contract to try to fix this.

    I am not into politics, just looking out for Dominica.

    • October 20, 2011

      what happened, like u six man. well then again monkey see monkey do.

    • stupes
      October 20, 2011

      help to do what? sweep the water out the river? lol!! awa wi

  35. true dominican
    October 20, 2011

    I am confused as to what is really happeing in Layou. Were there heavy rains? I am confused.

    • Sheldon
      October 20, 2011

      There was some rain, but the river bed has risen significantly from the damn bursting and the last storm that it was practically same level with the road, so any little rain that wall, those areas there would have flooded.

    • Call me Sugar
      October 20, 2011

      well am not sure were u live but hey yes it did have heavy rain from last night up to 8:30 am this morning.

  36. Anonymous
    October 20, 2011

    What they trying to do? launch that boat ??

    • Anonymous
      October 20, 2011

      This boat have been parked there for a loooong time now. Therefore they cannot be launching it.

      • November 11, 2011

        Boom shakalaka boom boom, proeblm solved.

  37. whatever
    October 20, 2011

    don’t bother calling the dominica disaster centre to find out what they are doing and if it is safe to travel… they know nothing, don’t like being asked questions and rude enough to put the phone down on concerned citizens.

    • psychebelle
      October 20, 2011

      SHE needs to be fired for incompetence. Hope you took her name English. You’re dealing with people’s lives and you choose to wear your ignorance as a badge of honor and even hanging up your phone when you supposed to be doing your job. Makes me wonder what we’re celebrating this independence. Freedom from morale, ethics and brotherhood; hope not.

      I SAY FIRE THIS RECEPTIONIST AT THE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS CENTRE.

      • ...
        October 20, 2011

        448 7777 in case anyone else can get more information out of our nations disaster centre

      • October 20, 2011

        Many of them need to be fired, some time ago i called the Housing Department in Dominica, the girl who answered the phone was unprofessional, she answered the phone angrily, no communication, nor customer services,skills whatsoever, they all need professional development training

    • whatever
      October 20, 2011

      I have called them again and Mr Issacs has said it is safe to travel and the river is receeding…

    • Anonymous
      October 20, 2011

      Hi

      I was wondering who would do that at that office. I work closely with that office and I know they are not like that. First thing i said not Mr. Isaac because i know he is a very nice person and always trying to help.

  38. miss LLOYD
    October 20, 2011

    i agree me

  39. papa
    October 20, 2011

    Lord facing that water this morning to go to work was not easy people screaming children crying boy what Dominica coming to now.

    • smh
      October 20, 2011

      what dominica coming to? who put a gun to their head and tell them cross? Stupes, allu to not easy sometimes

  40. October 20, 2011

    iam sure Dubai would love to buy the river bed of layou’s sand, if only guys could organise and work in the best intrest of Dominica and not themselves, we could block a financial hole while solving a problem.
    hmmm just thinking aloud’

  41. ME
    October 20, 2011

    GASON DREDGE THE DANM RIVER, GIVE PEOPLE SAND, BUILD WALL HOUSES, PAVE ROADS, BUILD WALLS, DO SOMETHING. OR IS THE PLAN AFTER A FAMILY OF 5 GET SWEPT AWAY WE WILL ATTEND THE FUNERAL AND MAKE A BIG HOORA PROMISE OF DIGGING THE RIVER BY OUR HANDS, MWEN FACHE’

    • last of all
      October 20, 2011

      IT IS SO EASY TO SAY, WONDER IF YOU WERE IN THERE WHAT WOULD U DO MR PERFECT

      • ME
        October 20, 2011

        i would do something. a try is better than a promise

      • FED UP DOMINICAN
        October 20, 2011

        What is so wrong with these suggestions?

        They ALL make perfect sense to me. Would you prefer that the many companies selling sand get the sand and then sells it back to us.

        We could also use te sand to improve our beaches.

        Let the people make use of the sand, and everyone is happy.

    • 1979 LIVES!!!
      October 20, 2011

      etelle and de french fella sand dat dere we boy YOU MAD!! go and touch it nuh!!! lololol

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