"Declare the entire north-western peninsula a disaster area." This recommendation was made to Diego Martin Central MP Dr Amery Browne to National Security Minister Jack Warner. "I have not seen anything like this since the 1960s. There has been some response from the authorities but there is still insufficient response. The services don't have the best equipment," Browne said on Saturday after heavy rains flooded areas in west Port-of-Spain. He also felt the Defence Force should have been immediately activated to deal with the scope of the disaster. Surveying the scene of destruction, Browne said houses were completely submerged, major roadways including the St Lucien Road and Capildeo Lands were blocked. He said,?"Everywhere is covered with rubble and debris. There have been losses in the area of millions of dollars. There are families who have lost every single item and everything that they had to eat or prepare to eat. They have lost clothing." He said reports of a six-year-old child being trapped and a doctor's family having to swim through a hole in the burglar proofing to get to safety had reached him.
He also praised the strong sense of community spirit. "There have been a lot of scenes of human tragedy and pain. Families have lost everything. The community spirit is alive. People are coming into the street and assisting the elderly to get out of houses. They are assisting their neighbours." Browne noted there was a lot of work to be done still. "Affected flood victims need foodstuff, water, clothing, mattresses and medicines. We also need the prayers of the nation. It is a complete disaster." MP for Diego Martin North/East Colm Imbert called on the Government to move quickly to mobilise all relief agencies to assist victims. He said in a statement that the flooding could have been avoided. "If the former Minister of Works (Jack Warner)?had done his work instead of playing to the gallery," he said. Imbert said he was "thrown out of Parliament a few months ago for highlighting the fact that the Maraval and Diego Martin Rivers had not been cleaned and were full of silt and debris." He said he had warned then that Maraval in particular would suffer again in 2012 as it did in 2011. Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley says the damage caused by yesterday's flooding in the north-western peninsula could "run into millions."
The MP?for Diego Martin West had just left La Horquette and was heading to another disaster-hit area when he spoke to the T&T Guardian. He had been out surveying the extent of the damage and said he was covered in mud. "There was significant damage from Carenage right through to La Horquette." He said there had been a lot of damage to the physical infrastructure including roads, drainage and hillsides. He said there was no access to the people in Upper La Horquette. The main road was completely washed away. A contractor has just arrived on site." He also said a number of families were affected in Diego Martin, and that some families had had to temporarily abandon their homes in places like Point Cumana. Rowley admitted there were some relief efforts, with contractors arriving on the scene. But, he said they are not getting reports of people getting relief like beds and blankets. "They desperately need some help since they have been badly affected," he said. When contacted, Rowley said he had not heard about the humanitarian efforts at the PNM's headquarters at Balisier House, Victoria Avenue, Port-of-Spain, where plans to take supplies to help needy families in Diego Martin were underway. Another drop-off point was Skiffle Bunch panyard, San Fernando, he said.
