TEMA reveals $1m in boat damage

Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) director Allan Stewart says it may be some time before the agency can quantify the damage caused by Tropical Storm Karen.

However, he revealed there has been over $1 million worth of damage to fishing boats in Roxborough.

"What we know is that there has been over a million (dollars) worth of damage to the boats. There are about 11 vessels and when you compute the figures, you realise is over a million worth in damages in the east," Stewart told Newsday.

Pounding rains associated with Karen triggered extensive flooding and damage to houses and commercial properties on Sunday. The bad weather also felled trees and utility poles and tore roofs off houses. More than ten fishing boats, particularly in east Tobago, were damaged

Stewart, who on Tuesday accompanied officials from several social service agencies on a tour of rural communities in east Tobago, said the agency is trying to quantify the losses in a particular manner.

"That is a huge task. So we are reaching out to some of the agencies to find out, like T&TEC (TT Electricity Commission), WASA (Water and Sewerage Authority), what would have been their losses and how they can compute them so as to have a total damage report."

Stewart said since the tropical storm's passage on Sunday, the agency has, to date, received close to 280 reports of incidents.

He said the agency realised the need for social service intervention in many of the incidents.

"After we took a look, we recognised that some of these reports require social intervention. So, a team from social services is going to the east, today (Wednesday), to look at some of the reports that we have, to ID key stakeholders, to undertake what they need to undertake in order to bring relief to those persons who have been affected."

Newsday understands insurance company Sagicor also wants to assist the distressed Tobagonians.

Stewart said the cleaning of some of Tobago's major thoroughfares is also on the front burner.

"We recognise now that there is residue of debris or silt that is remaining on the roadway and is now becoming a dust hazard. So, we will be working on that. We will also be talking to the Water and Sewerage Authority and Fire Service to see how best those areas that have been affected by flood waters and would have had land slippage, now that they are cleared, if they would require some level of washing down as well."