Blind woman appeals for help to repair roof damaged by strong winds

Thinking that rattling sounds were coming from bandits trying to break into her home, a visually impaired 47-year-old Gasparillo woman became paralysed by fear on Saturday morning. Sharlene Downes frantically called out to relatives, including her 81-year-old mother, to find out what was happening.

Relatives told her the noises, between 7 am and 8 am, were strong winds that partially blew off the roof of the family’s two-storey house at Caratal Road.

"I got frightened. I thought someone was trying to break into the house. It also sounded as if someone was pelting down the house with stones, not knowing nails were falling," Downes said.

"Right now, we (relatives) are praying for no breeze and no rain to come. When breezes blow, the roof and guttering rise. The roof is just resting on the house. Nothing is attached."

Several galvanised sheets from the roof flew off. The house was one of at least four affected by strong winds in south and central Trinidad.

Downes is appealing to the public for help to repair it.

"We have no money to pay to fix it. The neighbours had to move their cars because galvanise sheets were flying near the electrical lines," Downes told Newsday.

"This will cost thousands of dollars. When we repaired this roof about five years ago, it cost about $22,000. I get a disability grant of $2,000 monthly."

Eleven people, including a pregnant woman and a one-year-old baby, live in the house.

While working as in the clerical engineering department at URP office (Region 8) in San Fernando, Downes began having eye problems. Doctors later diagnosed her with bilateral chronic uveitis, a rear eye disease, after getting an infection.

Downes lost her sight in 2010. Since then, she had two surgeries but never regained her sight. She praised Dr Ronnie Bhola for his efforts in helping her.

"I do not have a pupil. There is nothing the doctors can do. I have to live with the pain in the eyes. The right eye is worse than the left. Every three days, I must buy eyedrops."

Apart from Gasparillo, chairman of the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation (CTTRC), Henry Awong said roofs were also blown off at Rose Hill in Claxton Bay, Balmain in Couva, and at Indian Trail.

Awong said members of the disaster management unit were out in the field assessing the situation.

On Friday afternoon, strong winds and slight drizzle caused a wooden house to collapse at Cotton Hill Road in Gasparillo, leaving five people, including two children, homeless. No one was at home when it happened at about 1.30 pm.

The owner, Clint "Neil" Ramcharan, lives with his wife and their two daughters, ages 10 and four, as well as his brother.

Concerned neighbour, Julien Adams, recalled: "It was not much drizzle. They lost everything. Everything mashed up, and they need help. Neil is not handling this well. He was in a mess when he came and saw the house in this condition."

On Saturday morning, there were several flash flooding reports across TT, and many people were bracing for the worst if heavy rain continued overnight.

Areas affected included Rochard Road in Barrackpore, Papourie Road in Lower Barrackpore, and parts of Mohess Road in Penal.

Barrackpore West councillor Nicholas Kanhai told Newsday he got several flash flooding reports and visited some areas.

"We (Penal/ Debe Regional Corporation) are monitoring the situation. For three hours, it has been raining," Kanhai said.

"Usually, when the rain falls like this, we feel the effects the day after when water from as far as Moruga reaches Penal/ Debe."

Up to Saturday evening, there were no reports of loss of lives of animals.

There were also reports of flooding in east Trinidad in Five Rivers, Bon Air West, and Tacarigua.