Report: Guadalcanal worst hit by bad weather

Guadalcanal is the province most affected by extreme weather events over the past weeks with at least 8 deaths.

The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) through its National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) has confirmed in its first National Situational Report released, today.

The bad weather have caused flash floods, landslides in various parts of the country, with Guadalcanal Province among the hardest-hit.

Floods have damaged infrastructure, including roads and bridges, and access to food, education and even access to health care has been hampered.

The heavy rains follow a trough of low pressure lies to the southwest of Solomon Islands whilst a west to northwest wind flow persists over the country as tracked by the weather office over the past week.

However, in the report which confined to only two provinces, Guadalcanal and Malaita, NDMO says Guadalcanal reported significant disaster impacts followed by Malaita.

NDMO through NEOC says no information is yet available for disaster impacts from all the other Provinces but says they will distributed update upon the availability of new information.

See brief on the disaster impacts caused by the bad weather on Guadalcanal and Malaita as below:

GUADALCANAL PROVINCE

Selwyn College:

• Being flooded for the second time in 35 days resulting in evacuation of approximately 600 students and staff to Honiara.
• Dormitories and staff houses were flooded.
• School gardens are again destroyed.
• School sewage system again flooded elevating water and sanitation risks.

Dorma

• Road access flooded.
• Houses and food gardens reported inundated by flood-waters.
• Drinking water source reportedly inundated by flood-waters.

Aruligo

• Road access reported to be covered by flood waters
• Aruligo old ICLAM, Aruligo Mission Station and other surrounding communities observed to be flooded.

Poha to Tamboko

• Poha and areas around Tamboko reported to be flooded by water.
• Road inaccessible due to fallen trees.

Savaulu

• Damage to some dwelling houses and kitchens

Sasa Access

• Sasa River Bridge washed out limiting access further west from flooding.

Visale

• Main Road access, covered with ground from landslide.

Snake Hill

• Main road access, covered with ground from Landslide

Lambi

• Severe landslide triggered by continuous heavy rainfall resulted in eight deaths.

MALAITA PROVINCE

• Taba’a Bridge along the North Road of Malaita has collapsed following the heavy downpour.