Landslides threaten homes in Tobago

Relocated: Frank Edwards points out the landslide
in front his home yesterday, following continuous rainfall in Tobago.
 He along with his 17-year-old daughter and wife
 had to be relocated as the concrete pillars
 of his home are a few metres away from the landslide.
 —Photo: ELIZABETH WILLIAMS

A total of 15 incident reports were received by the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) on Saturday, as persistent rainfall was experienced in Tobago.

According to Tobago Fire Service officials, two families had to be relocated to a guest house in Mt St George area, as their homes were threatened by landslides.

One of those persons, Frank Edwards 48, told the Express the earth started slipping away, in the vicinity of his home, shortly after 6.30 p.m. on Saturday. His three-member family, including a 17-year-old girl, a pupil of the Roxborough Secondary School, have been relocated.

“A landslide came down at the back and this one to the front, of my home. The landslide is very much threatening the concrete beams, and is making it impossible to enter and come out of the house,” Edwards said.

Edwards said, area representative Joel Jack, engineer Carl Alleyne and fire officer David Thomas responded and assisted his family. 

Edwards said he remains concerned as the retaining walls which have been built along the sides of his home are not tall enough to protect against further land slippage.

“The walls are below the land and once the walls stay below the land, the land on top will continue to slip,” he said.

The Tobago Emergency Operations Centre has since been partially activated. There have also been three reports of residential flooding, nine landslides, and one fallen tree, in addition to flash and street flooding.

Source:Trinidadexpress

Christmas landslidescut off roads in Tobago

LOCKED: L'Anse Fourmi/Charlotteville Link Road blocked
on Christmas Day by a landslide. —Photos: ELIZABETH WILLIAMS

Shortly before 3 a.m. on Christmas morning, heavy wind and incessant rain started in Tobago, causing landslides in Tobago East and a number of blocked roads.

According to Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) director Allan Stewart and information officer Alex Brown, areas such as Delaford, Goodwood, Hermitage and Charlotteville were affected. There were landslides along the Windward Road, as well as the L'Anse Fourmi/ Charlotteville Link Road.

Response teams from the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the Division of Infrastructure and Public Utilities responded and assisted in the clearing of blocked roads. There was also clearing of landslides to reopen the main eastern artery and restore connectivity in the east. Emergency teams continued  to work towards the restoration of normality in the affected areas well into Christmas afternoon.

With the exception of the L'Anse Fourmi/Charlotteville Link Road, all the landslides have been cleared. There was also a tree that fell at Englishman's Bay that was cleared as well. 

Reproduced from Trinidadexpress