CASTRIES -- There were reports yesterday of five deaths from Tropical Storm
Debby, amid fears that the battering which St. Lucia took Saturday may have
been the worst since Hurricane Allen 14 years ago.

The Disaster Office said it received a report of five deaths, three in the
southwestern town of Soufriere and two in the rural community of Roseau just
outside the capital, Castries. Details were sketchy.

Workmen and volunteers were in action restoring services, clearing debris and
helping communities become habitable again after Debby dumped ten inches of
rain on the 238 square-mile island while passing through the eastern
Caribbean.

The major effect of the tropical storm, the first to hit St. Lucia this
season, was flooding which was nationwide, driving people away from their
homes and taking some of the buildings along as well.

Prime Minister John Compton, who toured parts of the island late Saturday by
helicopter, said damage to bridges and roads was "pretty severe".

"In the long term it will be worst than Hurricane Allen," he added.

A spokesman for the Disaster Office yesterday confirmed Compton's assessment,
pointing to a number of bridges and roads damaged by the storm.

The EC$120 million (about BD$89m) (one EC dollar: 74 cents BD) dam being
constructed at Roseau, which is nearing completion, was reported to have
suffered serious damage.

Elsewhere, the destruction of bridges and major roads resulted in a number of
coastal communities being cut off and some could only be reached by sea.

Compton confirmed on Saturday night that the west coast village of Anse La
Raye and Dennery, an agricultural village on the east, were among the hardest
hit. In Anse La Raye about 600 people are homeless after the entire community
was flooded.

So far no one has attempted to put a dollar value on the destruction.

Hurricane Allen, packing 125 miles-per-hour winds, wiped out the entire banana

industry and other crops and destroyed several hotels and factories. Damage
were estimated at around EC$250 million (about BD$185m).

The main characteristic of Allen's attack was extremely strong winds while
Debby's was pounding rain which lasted more than six hours.

There are indications that the vital banana industry may have been hit harder
than was earlier imagined. Officials of the St. Lucia Banana Growers
Association were summoned to work yesterday to begin assessing the damage to
banana plantations.

The Barbados-based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CEDERA) said
it was monitoring the system closely as in may threaten the western Caribbean.
(CANA)