It costs less than $200 to strap down your roof with hurricane tie straps yet thousands of homes across T&T remain vulnerable to strong winds.
So said the president of the Couva/Point Lisas Chamber- Rajball Ramchand Maharaj following Thursday’s thunderstorm which left 28 homes without roofs in southwestern Trinidad.
In an interview, Maharaj said the Chamber was engaged in talks with a private company to do an educational campaign on hurricane preparedness which will include the installation of roof straps.
“Right now that discussion has started and we have partnered with Sagicor to do it,” Maharaj said. He said the Chamber will also assist poor families in securing their homes in the event of disasters.
He noted that two years ago, the Chamber partnered with the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation to distribute tie straps to families.
“This was a pilot project for people who were building houses. We cannot accommodate all the people with tie straps but we will accommodate underprivileged people. It will also include an educational drive to make people aware of the importance of strapping down the roof.”
Checks by the Guardian revealed that a hurricane strap costs between $8 to $10. It takes about 50 straps to secure the roof of an average three-bedroom house. Most straps are available in your neighbourhood hardware and are made with galvanized steel.
Meanwhile, chairman of the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation Henry Awong agreed that people needed to be made aware of the dangers of having an unstrapped roof.
“During the last project, the Chamber provided straps and we provided labour and skills. Some of the straps are specially designed for wooden roofs. People must be mindful that when you construct your home, its a one time home so you must make sure and take all the precautions for safety,” he said.
On Thursday, a strong thunderstorm brought gusty winds and heavy rainfall to parts of South Trinidad which toppled trees, blew off roofs and caused power outages in several areas. More than 28 homes were damaged. T&TEC crews worked quickly to restore power.
Residents worked together to put tarpaulins on their homes. A collection drive has also been set up by Oropouche MP Dr Roodal Moonilal to provide building materials for the affected residents.