Storm brings disaster to south

BAD weather, enhanced by the passage of a tropical storm, wreaked havoc in parts of south Trinidad, blowing off more than 20 roofs of homes in Point Fortin, Penal/Debe, Barrackpore, Fyzabad, Siparia, Dow Village on Thursday afternoon.

Among those whose homes were damaged by the storm was People’s National Movement (PNM) councillor on the Siparia Regional Corporation (SRC), Maurice Alexander.

Alexander lives in Fyzabad where there were reports of flash flooding.

However, Alexander’s chairman Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh said there was no money to respond to the disaster and has appealed for help to assist those who suffered losses.

“It is a critical emergency situation, but we don’t have the resources to deliver help.

“As you know we have been begging and crying, making a strong case to government, but disaster votes have not been released.

“Some votes are at three per cent when they were 95 per cent last year. On an average, only 30 per cent of the funds have been released on the votes and there are many votes where we have received zero per cent.”

Ramadharsingh questioned, “How can a government have its first responder, local government strapped for funds in a situation like this. We are in the hurricane season and this needs to be dealt with immediately or we will live to regret our unpreparedness to respond to any emergency which may come upon us.”

He said his council would “scrape together what we can and work with the private sector and corporate community to bring relief to these people in need.”

“Our disaster management team is out and about visiting people who have suffered losses.

“We are trying to get credit from anywhere to provide groceries and any kind of building material in the first instance to the elderly, sick, differently-abled or generally poverty-stricken.”

Rural Development and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein said he was in Cabinet all day and was yet to get an update from the DMU.

In response to claims about the delay in releasing funds, Hosein said, “It’s not only Glenn Ramadharsingh you know. It is Joel Martinez, it is Junia Regrello, it is Glen Ram, it’s Terry Rondon, it’s the 14 corporations that are affected.

“The money comes from the Ministry of Finance and the corporations make the recommendation for the funding. We act as a conduit from the Ministry of Finance to get the funding. Once we get the funding, we could pass it on, but you know this is the silly season and we would get those statements. “

He suggested that Ramadharsingh become innovative and find was to help, until the Ministry of Finance releases money.

Roofs blown off in Point Fortin, Penal, Debe, Fyzabad

In Point Fortin, mayor Abdon Mason confirmed the roofs of five homes in the Borough were lifted by strong winds which also downed electricity and telephone lines caused by fallen trees in Egypt Village, Warden Road and in the vicinity of Heritage Petroleum Company Ltd (formerly Petrotrin), at Mahaica and Clifton Hill.

There have been no reports of injuries.

“There were two episodes of strong winds, one around 12.45 and another around 2.30 pm. The second one came with a force and that’s when the damage was done,” Mason said.

He said he and the Disaster Management Unit (DMU) were on the ground assessing the damage while trying to provide assistance for approximately 25 people who are presently affected.

He said the owners of two houses in Southern Gardens, one in Dam Road, Egypt Village, another Stafford Street, Warden Road and a fifth in Fanny Village would have suffered major losses as all household and electronic items were water-logged.

He said one of the roof’s which blew off landed on the roof of a nearby house also causing some damage.

Mason applauded residents whom he said immediately responded to help their neighbours trying to salvage and repair what they could.

He said it is unlikely homeowners and their families will be able to sleep in their homes.

“In the concrete structures at Southern Gardens, everything is damaged – furniture, couches, beds, computes, refrigerators – because the entire roofs blew off leaving everything exposed.

“The emergency operation crew is doing an assessment right now. In the first instance we are offering tarpaulins and mattresses. We will be following up to see what else would be required. Clean up crews have also been deployed to the affected areas,” he said.

Across in the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation, chairman Dr Allen Sammy said around 4 pm, there were reports that the roofs of 10 houses had blown off in Papourie Road, Monkey Town, Bombay Avenue, Quinam Road, Beckles Street, Hassanali Trace, GP Branch Road, Cuchawan Trace, and in Barrackpore.

“There may be more,” he said as the DMU was still on the ground assisting residents and assessing the extent of the damage. Sammy was unable to say how many residents were affected by the storm.