The Tribune

By MORGAN ADDERLEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

madderley@tribunemedia.net

AFTER more than three days of flooding, landslides, and an earthquake, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday declared a national disaster.

Although there were no reports of damage following the earthquake - measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale - the tremor came after the nation had been afflicted by flooding which left residents sleeping on rooftops to escape the rising water, which reached as high as 12 feet in places.

Bahamian medical students studying at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus told The Tribune they are safe, but expressed concern at the amount of rain that is continuing to fall.

Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield yesterday told The Tribune he is awaiting contact from his Trinidadian counterpart before his ministry releases a statement on the situation in the twin-island nation.

Bernice Turner and Adrianne Kelly are both first-year medical students studying at STA's Mount Hope campus. In interviews with The Tribune yesterday, they both described their experiences as the natural disaster unfolded around them.

"As far as I'm aware, there has not been any major flooding on main campus (or at Mt Hope)," Ms Turner said. "I think the majority of students are more worried than afraid because there is still more rain forecasted to fall between now and Tuesday.

"With that being said, the situation will only continue to (worsen), as only so much can be done to manage or better the situation until then.

"I also think there is a lot of anxiety in terms of thinking about the amount of road repairs needed, how to regain access, and ensure there is sufficient clean water to drink and prevent diseases; as all these conditions create a favourable environment for mosquitoes (to breed)."

Ms Turner added UWI had to provide temporary housing to some local commuter students, as they were unable to travel to their homes due to the road blockages and extreme flooding.

She also noted the effects of the rain at the Mount Hope campus have thankfully been "minor", adding she has experienced issues such as leaking and water seeping through the wall.

"I will say I do get a little scared because I do not know the entire lay of the island and therefore do not have a concrete plan if I need to evacuate," Ms Turner continued. "Also, watching some of the videos circulating that depict actual alligators trying to get into people's homes is not at all settling."

Ms Kelly told this newspaper she has not been directly affected by the flooding, but noted the school has advised against travelling.

"Our dorms are next to the hospital," Ms Kelly said. "Because (the hospital is) a shelter, it has a proper drainage system so the flooding doesn't affect me so much.

"However, areas near here like the main campus are affected and they recommend that we don't travel."

When asked if the students have heard from any Bahamian government officials, Ms Kelly and Ms Turner both said no, with Ms Kelly expressing doubt that most Bahamians are aware of the extent of the flooding.

"The government hasn't stepped in to check in or anything," Ms Kelly said. "But then again I'm not even sure if they're aware of what's going on here."

She added that Monday's classes have been cancelled, and said faculty is expressing hope that school will be able to reopen tomorrow.

The president of the campus' Bahamian Students Association, who did not want to be named, also sent a statement to The Tribune.

"As it stands now, no Bahamian students have been affected by the inclement weather," she said. "The areas of flooding are happening around us but we are safe, Thank God. There is a lot of flooding in the southern area so a lot of roads have been closed. We've urged everyone to try to gather water and non-perishables in the event of future closures.

"We're just monitoring for now and praying that everyone stays safe. A lot of our Trinidadian classmates have been affected by the flooding so we're praying that they receive the assistance they need as well."

Disaster

Yesterday, Dr Rowley posted on his Facebook page: "This is a national disaster, the flooding is quite widespread and quite severe and it is going to cost a lot of money to bring relief to people who have been affected. Notwithstanding whatever shortages we are experiencing we will have to find the resources to help.

"The situation is bad in the St Helena/Kelly area as these communities are still experiencing very high levels of water and the roads cannot be used by vehicular traffic.

"Rescue operations continue with the Coast Guard utilising boats to reach stranded persons. I want to assure persons that the government is doing all that it can to, in the first instance, rescue trapped persons and then to ensure that they have the resources they need when they get to the shelters."

He also said there had been reports of looting in the Sangre Grande area following the flooding, but that police were clamping down in the area.

In another statement, he said: "Our protective services saved the lives of many young children and elderly persons from swift rising flood waters. We have received no reports of casualties but I have heard many stories of close calls.

"My focus at this time is on the conditions at the shelters making sure that people housed there have cots, blankets, food and other supplies."

One resident in response posted that she had been stuck in her vehicle for more than 14 hours with four children, with the water chest high. She later reported that rescuers had come to her aid.

The flooding and adverse weather conditions also led to some disruption of flights at both Piarco and Arthur NR Robinson International Airports, with passengers unable to reach the airport due to flooded routes. A number of domestic flights were cancelled, with affected passengers being provided alternative flights.

The Seismic Research Centre at UWI yesterday reported that the earthquake was felt at 12.35pm in the central area of Trinidad and had a depth of 80km. There were no initial reports of injury or damage.