Parties pause campaigning as storm passes by

CLINT CHAN TACK and RIA CHAITRAM

POLITICAL parties hit the pause button on their general election campaign activities on Saturday because of the bad weather caused by Tropical Storm Gonzalo.

PNM campaign manager Rohan Sinanan said, "Due to the orange alert set for the passage of Tropical Storm Gonzalo, we are suspending all campaign activities scheduled for today."

Among those activities was a virtual public meeting in Chaguanas East where PNM leader Dr Keith Rowley was scheduled to give the feature address.

Sinanan, who is also Works and Transport Minister, continued, "The Red Army has to switch gears to provide physical and emotional support in every community across TT.

"We know many people may be affected adversely today, so let's be fully prepared and organised to response to their needs and strengthen communities that are affected." He added, "That is what the PNM spirit is all about."

The UNC announced that it had suspended all of its campaign activities until further notice, as TT braced for the effects of the storm. In a statement, the party said its leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar had issued this directive. The UNC said she was urging all citizens to remain vigilant, pay close attention to alerts from the relevant authorities and be prepared.

She also encouraged all UNC officials, candidates, activists and supporters "to be on alert to render any assistance which may become necessary as a result of adverse weather conditions.”

The UNC was prepared, she said, "to assist in all affected areas, as we have done on previous occasions.”

Persad-Bissessar said in the constituencies not held by the UNC, "we have put mechanisms in place to provide assistance where possible.”

MSJ leader David Abdulah said the party had campaign walkabouts planned in the constituencies it is contesting in the August 10 general election, but they were all cancelled because of the weather.

Abdulah, the MSJ Pointe-a-Pierre candidate, said candidates had been advised to monitor the weather in their constituencies and help affected constituents where possible. While no physical campaigning on the ground was taking place, Abdulah said the party was doing administrative work at its campaign bases.

PEP deputy party organiser Michelle Davis said party leader Phillip Edward Alexander had instructed PEP candidates to assist affected constituents in the areas they are contesting. As a result of the weather, Davis said the party postponed all of its mobilisation activities for the day and was keeping an eye on the weather, to ensure the safety of candidates and volunteers.

Davis said the PEP continued its election activities through "extreme engagement" on its social media platforms. She said candidates are using social media to engage with voters and this also provided a way people could seek help if they were affected by the weather.

Regional corporations across Trinidad were out on the ground to assist the response to the passage of the storm for which the island was under an adverse weather alert.

At the Sangre Grande regional corporation on Saturday afternoon, officials reported that there were no reports of flooding or distress to the communities.

Disaster Management Co-ordinator Terrance Maxime said the corporation has been in preparatory mode for some time and continues to monitor the weather.

He said, “We have been putting things in place for the past two weeks and it is ongoing preparation and mitigation. We have ensured that the drains and rivers have been cleaned.

“We have also been pre-positioning items in various parts of the community, like distributing sandbags. We are in a position to respond to a situation in which we may be impacted.”

Maxime said for the most part people were aware of the passage of tropical storm Gonazalo and took the necessary precautions.

He said, “The fishermen were prepared and pulled up their boats in anticipation of a storm surge. There were no reports of damage here.

“We are encouraging people to not to wait until they hear a hurricane or storm coming to get prepared. The Met Office and the ODPM have been given out information about what to do.

“The only way the country can be prepared is if each person takes it upon themselves to prepare themselves. Some people in the region are prepared and then there are some who are not.

Maxime said there was one report of a fallen breadfruit tree which destroyed a mini-mart but there were no reports of any other damage, injuries or flooding in the area.

At the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, workers including the mayor were also busy on the ground as they distributed sandbags and other necessities and gave assistance to secure homes and businesses.

Rural Development and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein on Saturday praised the response of disaster management units (DMUs) at Trinidad's 14 local government corporations to deal with inclement weather related to Tropical Storm Gonzalo.

In a statement, Hosein said the ministry's emergency operations centres (EOCs) at its Kent House headquarters in Maraval and the DMUs were activated from midnight on Friday.

He said all corporation stakeholders were on standby to respond to any hazards caused by weather related to the storm. Sandbag distribution, Hosein continued, which began on Wednesday continued on Saturday with over 10,000 sandbags distributed across all 14 local government corporations.

He said there were four reports of fallen trees in the Diego Martin, Sangre Grande, Mayaro/Rio Claro and San Juan/ Laventille Regional Corporations. There were two reports of roofs blown off in Diego Martin and one report of a downed power line in Mayaro/Rio Claro.

Hosein said there were no reports of flooding, no reports of roads being impassable and no shelters had to activated. With the storm downgraded to a tropical depression, the EOCs were deactivated.

In addition to praising local government stakeholders, Hosein praised citizens "for once again responding positively to calls for preparedness and vigilance in light of the tropical storm." He added that the ministry's proactive approach to dealing with natural disasters shows "our disaster response framework is progressive and effective.”