Al-Rawi: Trinidad and Tobago ducks Beryl, but watch for new storm

MINISTER of Local Government Faris Al-Rawi said on July 1 that while Trinidad and Tobago escaped the brunt of the anticipated impact of Hurricane Beryl, the country must stay alert for the impact of a new storm system forming in the Atlantic Ocean.

He spoke at a virtual briefing, after Shakeer Baig of the Met Office said the status of Tobago had just been downgraded from a hurricane warning to a tropical storm warning, and Trinidad from a tropical storm warning to an adverse-weather alert. (Since then the storm warning has been lifted in Tobago and the country is under a yellow-level adverse-weather alert.)

Baig said the new storm system, dubbed AL96, was expected to form by Wednesday and to approach Eastern Caribbean islands by midweek.

Al-Rawi said, "Many people in Trinidad are saying, 'Well, we didn't see the heavy rainfalls that we expected or the adverse consequences.'

"We are grateful there was not a significant amount of severity, but ladies and gentlemen, we are to warn after our report that there is continued rainfall expected.

"There is a new system. It is a low-pressure area that is trailing Hurricane Beryl."

He warned of very saturated soils.

"Risks of landslides and risks of flooding become real."

Noting high tide at about 1.24 pm, he said as rain continues to fall, the country was fighting runoff issues, with all eyes on TT's water courses and how they would accommodate fresh rainfall.

Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) head Maj-Gen Rodney Smart said, "The greatest effects of Hurricane Beryl were felt to the northeast of Tobago, in the vicinity of Charlotteville."

He noted reports of fallen trees, some of which had brought down electricity and telephone lines. Some 129 people in Tobago had sought refuge in shelters, Smart said.

Al-Rawi said in Tobago his ministry gave out 14,446 sandbags, and had alerted CEPEP to help in clean-ups. Out of 97 shelters, six had become active to house 12 people, he said.

Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales said 11 water plants had been out of operation in Trinidad and four in Tobago, largely due to flooded river conditions and clogged screens. These plants were expected to return to full operation as soon as river levels drop, he said.

However, Gonzales also said despite the rains, the country's reservoirs were still under capacity and WASA was in "emergency mode" after previous drought-like conditions.

Gonzales said T&TEC had reported 29 electricity outages in Tobago and 20 in Trinidad. TSTT had reported only one operation being interrupted, in Tobago.

Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan said there were no reports of major flooding nor major landslips. He said the Tobago airport had not yet reopened, but CAL expected to resume inter-island flights by 5 pm, depending on weather conditions.

Sinanan said sea conditions were still too rough for the passenger or cargo ferries.

He said Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) buses were running.