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Last Updated: Sep 3rd, 2007 - 16:02:01 |
Source: http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,63446.html
Flooding and landslides were reported in parts of North Trinidad yesterday after feeder bands from Tropical Storm Felix caused torrential rainfall and gusty winds early yesterday morning.
Residents of Upper L’Anse Mitan Road, Carenage, awoke in horror, shock and dismay as murky flood waters came gushing down the hillside, broke the banks of a river, deposited dirt and uprooted foliage on the roadway. Cars were pushed several metres away from their original parked position and a fruit and vegetable stall washed away in the raging waters.
Emile Burkette, of Petit Valley, was shaken out of his sleep at about 4.30 pm just in time to see a huge boulder tumbling towards his home. The boulder landed in his front yard blocking his gate leaving his family, including his wife Kathleen and their two young children, trapped inside their home.
Teams from the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Division of Infrastructure and Public Utilities, the Northern Division Fire Services and the police were dispatched to the worst affected areas to assist in clearing the debris caused by the landslides.
A fire officer at the Four Roads, Diego Martin Fire Sub-station told Sunday Newsday, “From what I understand Goodwood Gardens was one of the areas hardest hit. There was also a report of a landslide in L’Anse Mitan. Fire Officers from both Chaguaramas and Diego Martin are assisting in those areas.”
At about 8 pm on Friday night, The Trinidad and Tobago Meteoro-logical Service released an advisory on a tropical depression that was approaching Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada and its dependencies.
By yesterday morning the depression had intensified into Tropical Storm Felix, the sixth named storm of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season, spawning thunderstorms and downing trees in Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The Office of Disaster Prepared-ness and Management (ODPM) advised residents to “exercise caution as feeder bands of the Tropical Storm Felix would affect both islands.” NEMA Tobago opened nine emergency shelters as a precautionary measure.
The tropical storm started moving away from the southern Windward Islands late yesterday morning and was to pass near or to the north of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao by evening or early today, according to forecasters.
At 5 pm yesterday, Felix was centred 500 kilometres (310 miles) east of Aruba and was moving westward at about 30 kph (18 mph). It had top sustained winds of 110 kph (70 mph), the US National Hurricane Centre said.
The system was expected to strengthen over the next 24 hours. Forecasters said satellite loops show that Felix is steadily expanding in size.
At about 11.30 am yesterday, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) advised that two other possible storm systems are forming.
CDERA stated that a Tropical Wave has been detected midway between Africa and the Lesser Antilles that is moving in a westerly direction with wind speeds at about 15-20 mph. Also, an area of low depression was detected 175 miles north-east of Bermuda which is expected to move further northeast and be absorbed into a Frontal System.
The fast-strengthening storm was forecast to become a hurricane late yesterday or today.
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