Reports on Flood Damage in Limay Oct. 14-20, 2011

The following report is based on information sent to us by the mayor of Limay, covering the period October 14-20, 2011.

PEOPLE SEEKING SHELTER

In the central town of Limay, three emergency shelters are operating.

The Casa de Cultura (Cultural Center) is serving fourteen families, with a total of 56 people. Their primary needs are clothes for children and adults, disposable diapers, and shoes.

Capilla Lirio del Valle (Lily of the Valley Chapel) is serving five families, with a total of 21 people. All these families are reported to be extremely vulnerable. Two of these have nowhere to live; and given that they are staying elsewhere, they don’t have beds, kitchen utensils, etc. The rest of the families are living in overcrowded conditions, and their immediate needs are clothes, shoes, and disposable diapers.

The Capilla Calvario (Calvary Chapel) is serving fifteen families, with 46 persons total.

The shelters are equipped with an electric system, but there had been no electricity for a week prior to October 20, the day of this report.

In the rural communities of the Limay municipality, these people are in shelters or are staying with family, friends or neighbors:

Agua Fria: 14 families, 47 persons
Colocondo: 2 families, 12 persons. 1 house destroyed
Colorados: None mentioned. 3 houses partially damaged
El Guaylo: 3 families, 16 persons. 15 houses partially damaged
El Jicarito: 1 family, 3 persons. 2 houses destroyed, 3 partially damaged
El Limon: 9 families, 37 persons. 9 houses partially destroyed
El Morcillo: None mentioned. 1 house totally destroyed, 5 partially damaged.
Guanacaston: 3 families, 8 persons. 1 house destroyed
La Danta: 3 families, 15 persons. 13 houses partially damaged
La Flor: None mentioned
La Grecia: 2 families, 6 persons total
La Naranja: 8 families, 34 persons. 8 houses partially damaged
Las Chacaras: 6 families, 26 persons
Los Encuentros: 1 family, 6 persons
Los Laureles: 30 families, 123 persons. 2 houses partially damaged
Ojochal: None mentioned. 3 houses partially damaged.
Redes de Esperanza: None mentioned
San Lorenzo: 4 families, 18 persons total. 6 houses partially damaged

REPORT FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT

On October 15 and 16, the health department provided emergency consults and administered prophylactic doses of medication against leptospirosis to the people in the three shelters in the central town of Limay.

On October 16, prophylactic doses of medication were administered by community health workers in the following communities: Agua fria, El Calero [also known as Rio Abajo], El Orejón, El Rincon, La Laguna, Las Canarias, Loma atravezada, Los Chapetones, Ocotillo, Palmira, Polvalera, San Antonio, Tranquera

Except for El Calero, it was impossible for the central health department to access these communities directly because of bad roads; but they had left medication in health outposts in these locations in anticipation of such an emergency, to be administered by community health workers.

DAMAGE TO INFRASTRUCTURE

In the Municipality of San Juan de Limay, there is a total of 150 kilometers of destroyed roads because of mudslides, floods, erosion, and saturation of the soil. There is total or partial destruction of 7 bridges. One foot bridge is damaged. There are 37 kilometers of highway in bad shape; the rest of the 150 kilometers are rural roads. Electricity is gone.

Colorados: Road is bad. Individual and community wells are not damaged, but chlorine is needed.
El Guaylo: Road is bad. No other info was provided.
El Jicarito: Road is bad. Water system is not damaged, but needs cleaning and chlorine.
El Limon: Latrines waterlogged
El Morcillo: Road is bad. Wells not damaged, but chlorine, cleaning, and 3 rope pumps are needed.
La Danta: Road completely out. Latrines are waterlogged.
La Flor: Road is bad.
La Grecia: Community aqueduct destroyed. Chlorine needed.
La Naranja: Vehicular bridge destroyed. Foot bridge damaged.
Ojochal: Road is bad. Chlorine needed for community well.
Redes de Esperanza: latrines waterlogged, wells are undamaged. Electric system is damaged.
San Lorenzo: Road is bad. Water system partly damaged, chlorine needed.

REPORT FROM ENACAL
[NICARAGUAN ENTERPRISE OF WATER AND SEWAGE SYSTEMS]

Report of the results obtained during the first three days of the state of emergency declared in a yellow alert by National SINAPRED [government agency for emergencies and disasters]:

On Friday [October 14] ENACAL was called to a meeting by the Municipal Commission for Prevention, Mitigation and Attention to Natural Disasters (COMUPRED). A yellow alert had been declared because of the JOVA tropical depression.

Five ENACAL personnel participated in crossing the overflowing Los Quesos river that was affecting the water pumps at water plant No. 4. They activated a generator for 5 hours on October 14, 12 hours on the 15th and 19 hours on the 16th.

Another ENACAL colleague joined the municipal brigade doing search-and-rescue work for 10 hours on October 14. Two colleagues evaluated damage to various water systems in the central town and in nearby communities.

With regard to the provision of potable water, approximately 1.40 cubic meters of water per domicile was provided, which is considered good for basic needs, i.e., consumption and food preparation. It is worth mentioning that on the 14th, the first water which was pumped came out dirty, 20 cubic meters of water. The level of chlorination during this testing period was 1.5 times the [usual] dose of chlorine. It was overseen by a doctor from the health center.

In search and rescue, the evacuation of 55 families was supported [by ENACAL], for a total of 161 persons including children and adults, in the barrios of Adrian Morales, Silvio Bravo, and Roberto Lopez.

AGRICULTURAL DAMAGE

[Note: A manzana is about 1.7 acres.] The following summary is still incomplete, because many communities are inaccessible or people have been unable to reach their fields; but here is what is known to this point:

We have a total of 1,353 manzanas of beans planted for the second growing season which are in the stage of first flowering; these are affected, because of excess humidity and rain, by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani leading to “brown patch disease” and the falling of leaves and flowers.

With respect to corn, there are 1,482 manzanas planted for the second growing season which are in the stage of flowering and beginning to develop ears. In this crop there are areas affected by flooding from rivers and streams. There is stunting of corn and excess water.

In sorgo [another grain, perhaps sorghum or millet], there are 438 manzanas affected by floods, since this is grown in the flat part of the municipality.

With regard to livestock, masses of cattle in the municipality are being affected by hypothermia, with 20 cattle dead from hypothermia; and 15 horses and 3 sheep dead from drowning from overflowing rivers and streams.

In the town center, 25 manzanas with agricultural potential are totally destroyed by overflowing rivers and streams.