2 families seek temporary homes after St James landslip

TWO households at Dibe Road, Long Circular, St James are calling on the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) for temporary relocation after a massive landslip this week.

TT is under a yellow-level adverse weather alert until Saturday at 3pm.

When Newsday visited Dibe Road on Thursday, Shirley Murray told Newsday that on Tuesday, water came gushing down her staircase and at the side of her home during heavy rainfall.

She's been living there for over 40 years.

Thankfully, she said, no water got into the house, and there was no extensive damage or losses.

She lives with six other people, including her niece Cherise Plowden.

She said she was scared.

"There was a landslide by the road, and all the water came down by us and our neighbour Meagan.

"We had to wait until the water stopped and remove (the rubble from) the landslide out there so the water wouldn't keep flowing here."

Plowden said while it's not the first time this has happened, it's never been this bad.

"We couldn't go anywhere. It was scary," Plowden said.

"Land Settlement (Agency) and the ODPM (Office of Disaster Preparedness) visited us so far.

"It was only when news crews came that we got those visitors...They're just taking information, that's it."

The two said they and their neighbour Meagan-Marie Freitas are like family and that she, too, wants temporary relocation.

Freitas was not there when Newsday visited, but when contacted by phone, she said she felt completely unsafe.

She said there was a power outage on Tuesday morning.

"After that, I started looking around to make sure everything was okay...I had a feeling current would go, because lightning was striking.

"When I opened my door, there was water up to the front of my door, and that's when I heard a loud noise and when I looked across, that's when I got scared, because I've never seen that before."

In total, five people live at her home.

"The land started slipping and it just kept moving and moving – it wasn't stopping.

"There's nothing we could have done in that moment."

Her home was damaged at the back and she said her cesspit is also damaged.

"It's not safe to be here. It really isn't. We kind of have to stay in one spot and it's really crammed and uncomfortable."

Both families also want a retaining wall built behind their homes.

There was also a landslip at Farrell Lane, Belmont. When Newsday visited, there was caution tape around the heaps of rubble.

In an update on Thursday afternoon, the ODPM said there was also a landslide at Fort George Road, Cumberland Hill , blocking one lane, and another in South Oropouche at Dow Avenue.

Two trees fell at Toco Main Road near Mora Trace and in Sangre Grande at Panchoo Road, Fishing Pond.

The ODPM said it held a meeting on Wednesday with representatives from the Met Service, Rural Development Ministry, Tobago Emergency Management Agency, Defence Force, Ministry of Works and Transport, Ministry of Health, TT Electricity Commission (T&TEC) and the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA).

"At the meeting, the (Met Office) provided a briefing on the potential impact of the weather system and agencies in attendance provided updates on their state of readiness and whether any assistance was required at this time.

"The ODPM is working with the various agencies within the disaster management sector to ensure any impacts are effectively addressed."