Tropical Storm Gonzalo was predicted to hit Tobago yesterday at 5 am. The Meteorological Office warned Tobagonians to expect rough seas, with coastal waves up to four meters, showers, thundershowers, street, and flash flooding. Instead, the storm squeezed between Trinidad and Tobago, leaving in its wake heavy showers and minor damage.
The T&T Inter-island Transportation rescheduled its Friday interisland sailings but cancelled all yesterday.
Caribbean Airlines’ last flight from Tobago on Friday was 5.45 pm and, there were only two flights yesterday morning as the rest were cancelled from as early as 6.55 am.
Tobagonians, for the most part, buckled down for a battering that never came.
On Friday night, the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), activated its command centre comprising all essential services.
The Progressive Democratic Patriots suspended its campaign in Scarborough/ Calder Hall on Friday and Goodwood yesterday.
By yesterday morning, TEMA ordered that ten of the island’s shelters be opened.
Equipment and men from the THA’s Infrastructure Division were ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice and all other THA departments were on standby.
THA’s Scarborough market and Pigeon Point Heritage Park as well as private businesses, such as MovieTowne, Viewport supermarkets, and shops closed.
However, by noon TEMA, on advice from the Met Office, notified everyone that the situation had changed.
“The worst has passed us,” said TEMA’s director Allan Stewart said.
He said there were only two reports of damage. A roof blew off a bus stop in Argyle and a fallen tree damaged the Les Coteaux Community Centre. However, Stewart still urged Tobagonians to continue preparing for severe weather as the hurricane season, which began on June 1, ends on November 30.
