Heavy rainfall triggers flooding, landslides, power outages in Tobago

Director of TEMA and chair of the Oil Spill Relief Committee Allan Stewart. - File photo

HEAVY RAINFALL triggered flooding, landslides and power outages in several villages across Tobago on December 19.

Among the affected communities were Lowlands, Calder Hall, Bacolet, Friendsfield, Black Rock, Turtle Beach, Studley Park, Golden Lane, Whim, Moriah, Runnemede and other parts of the island’s northside.

Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) director Allan Stewart, who was on the ground with teams of workers from very early, told Newsday the agency received a total of 16 reports. These included flash flooding, landslides and fallen trees.

But Stewart said most of the incidents were resolved by 5pm. And, up until press time, there were no reports of injuries or fatalities.

Earlier in the day, flash flooding in Turtle Beach, near to the Star Fish resort, forced drivers to seek alternative routes to get to Plymouth and other areas.

At one point, a motorist posted a video of the deluge on social media urging drivers to stay away from the area. Flooding also was reported in Charlotteville.

In Runnemede, a tree fell on electricity lines, cutting off power and cellular service in the area and surrounding villages. The fallen tree also blocked the roadway for several hours, making it impassable.

TEMA, which issued regular updates on its Facebook page, urged residents to remain vigilant and patient as T&TEC crews worked to restore power.

Motorists were advised to exercise caution while the tree was cut and removed from the roadway.

There also were reports of blocked roadways at Providence Branch Road, Golden Lane, Studley Park Main Road, near Eco Sports Bar and Des Vignes Road on Tobago’s northside. A landslide also blocked a part of the roadway at old Whim Road Junction.

Teams from the Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and Urban Development (DIQUD) also removed debris in Friendsfield as a result of the flood waters.

Stewart said he was pleased with the work of the various teams that responded to the bad weather.

“The situation on the northside has been resolved. I know the teams are still working on some of the debris but traffic can go back and forth. So basically things are getting back to normal quite nicely so far. So we want to than the teams that were involved in today’s (yesterday’s) exercise.”

He was especially pleased with the response to flooding.

“Everything is back to normal where flooding is concerned. The concern we had was the removal of the debris at Runnemede and also we had some reports of debris as a result of a large amount of bamboo that was tied up at Friendsfield. But some of these incidents have been assigned to the DIQUD and they have been working on that.”

Stewart said although TEMA received 16 reports throughout the day, additional hazards could be reported overnight “not because there is more rain threatening but because of the level of saturation.

“So that is quite possible. One has to be prepared for the increase of those numbers.”

He encouraged the public to report any hazards or obstructions to TEMA to ensure a timely response.