Courtesy Photo | Seabees from the 22nd Naval Construction Regiment (22NCR) recover a vehicle with the...... read more read more
A team of Seabees from the 22nd Naval Construction Regiment (22 NCR) deployed to Cabo Verde following a devastating tropical storm and flooding that struck the islands of São Vicente, Santo Antão, and São Nicolau on August 11, 2025.
The Seabees are working alongside the Cabo Verdean Coast Guard, the Portuguese Navy, the United Nations resident office, local authorities and other international partners to conduct a large-area harbor search and infrastructure damage assessments to help communities access and recover from the severe flooding and landslides caused by the storm.
“Our team’s success on this mission with the Cabo Verdean Coast Guard and Portuguese Navy partners is a result of working with them during other operations and exercises like Obangame Express,” said Engineering Aid 1st Class Dylan Maznicki.
Maznicki said that 22NCR’s ability to respond rapidly and work shoulder-to-shoulder with the Cabo Verdean Coast Guard was built on the trust and relationships formed over the last few years working together.
“I spent five weeks working here in Cabo Verde last April, so I feel like I was already way ahead of anyone coming for the first time,” said Maznicki.
The storm brought unprecedented rainfall, including more than 160 millimeters in a single hour, overwhelming infrastructure and resulting in widespread damage. Cabo Verde’s government declared a state of calamity after the disaster, which claimed nine lives, left three people missing, and displaced over 1,500 residents.
“We are so glad the U.S. Navy Seabees came to Mindelo to provide additional support and special expertise in hydrographic surveys and engineer assessments” said Lt. Cmdr. Francisco Semedo Moreira, Operations Officer for the Cabo Verdean Coast Guard headquarters. “This storm has been a major disaster for us and its very reassuring having the Seabees here by our side”.
Deployed at the request of the U.S. 6th Fleet Commander and in coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Praia, the Seabees are assisting in conducting a large-area harbor search and surveying damaged schools, orphanages, the waste water treatment plant, and other public facilities.
“I’ve been a Seabee for nearly three decades, and this is the kind of mission that reminds you why we wear the uniform,” said Master Chief Constructionman Scott Balius. “The damage here is real - families without homes, roads washed out, and communities cut off - but what stands out most is the resilience of the Cabo Verdean people.”
Balius said that their efforts are focused on helping officials prioritize reconstruction and restoring essential services in the hardest-hit areas.
“We’re here to roll up our sleeves, put our technical expertise to work, and help them get back on their feet,” said Balius.
The Seabees’ contribution supports what is a monumental effort for both the Cabo Verdean Coast Guard and the local government of Cabo Verde. The effort is supported by the Portuguese Navy, the United Nations, the International Organization for Migration, UNICEF, and the Red Cross, who are all working together conducting community surveys, mapping affected areas, and providing emergency relief supplies.
The Portuguese Navy were some of the earliest to arrive on-scene and worked for over two weeks straight to restore power and water to the residents of Sao Vicente and Santo Antao.
“We were on our way home to Lisbon after a four-month deployment sailing along the West African Coast when we got the order to turn around and head to Sao Vicente to respond to this calamity” said Lt. Cmdr. Silva Santos, commanding officer of the Portuguese Viana do Castelo-class ocean patrol vessel NRP Sines. “What the community of Mindelo needs most right now is skilled technical support to repair the electrical and utility systems in the city that will prevent a health crisis from lack of sanitation.”
Santos added that they are glad the U.S. Navy sent in Seabees to help with this effort.
Early estimates indicate more than 3,800 buildings were impacted, with critical needs spanning potable water, food distribution, health services, and temporary shelter. Nearly three hundred people are still displaced and living in several schools around the city that have been set up as temporary shelters. These shelters are supported almost entirely by grass-roots organized community volunteers who have brought in essential supplies and prepare and serve the daily meals for those who have lost everything.
22nd NCR, headquartered in Rota, Spain, commands naval construction forces for Navy Expeditionary Combat Forces Europe-Africa/Task Force 68 across the 6th Fleet area of operations to defend U.S., Allied, and partner interests.
| Date Taken: | 08.22.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.04.2025 03:24 |
| Story ID: | 547190 |
| Location: | CV |
| Web Views: | 194 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Seabees Support Post-Flood Damage Assessments in Mindelo, Cabo Verde, by CPO Justin Stumberg, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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