Haiti – Floods in Léogâne Damage Hundreds of Homes

by in Americas, News

Torrential rain affected the Ouest Department of Haiti, causing the Rouyonne River to overflow in the city of Léogâne on 13 April, 2016. Léogâne is a city of around 120,000 inhabitants, situated to the west of Port-au-Prince, and known to be the epicentre of the catastrophic 2010 earthquake.

Flood in Léogâne

The heavy rain began to fall on 12 April, 2016, causing the overflow of the Rouyonne River in the morning of 13 April. The inundation affected several houses located on the riverbanks, causing damage to as many as 907 homes.

The violent and sudden flood caused significant losses in livestock and damage to plantations. According to local authorities, the silting of the river bed is thought to be one of the main cause of the flooding.

Several areas of Léogâne were affected, in particular Dampus, Kada, Pompée, Malbourg and Pont Vincent neighbourhoods.

According to local Civil Defence authorities, a bridge on the Rouyonne River needs urgent repair to avoid a possible collapse.

The Prime Minister, Enex Jean-Charles, expressed his government’s solidarity with the victims of the floods of Léogâne.

In a statement last week, he said that he had been informed of the flood situation in the affected areas and that the government has hastened to mobilize the relevant authorities to provide emergency and relief measures.

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Fuel Tanker Explosion

To cause further misery for communities in Léogâne, a fuel tanker was involved in a collision in the city and exploded into flames, setting more than 20 homes on fire, according to local media.