PUBLIC ADVISORY

Thursday 27 October, 2022                                    For Immediate Release

BE PREPARED TO RESPOND TO MORE RAINFALL AND RIVERS OVERSPILLING 

As a result of the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (TTMS) raising the alert levels to Orange for both Adverse Weather Conditions and Riverine Flooding, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) is advising the national community to be extra vigilant over the next 48 hours. 

At present, the levels of the Caroni River and the North and South Oropouche Rivers are already high and with a further 75 mm of rainfall expected, it is highly likely that these rivers will spill their banks in places. On account of this, the ODPM is alerting persons living downstream of these major rivers to consider elevating and securing their personal  items in the event they overtop their banks.

Along the Caroni River, the areas of concern include: Kelly Village, St. Helena, Las Lomas 1&2, Madras Road, La Paille Village, Greenvale, Pasea Extension, Trantrill Road, and Manuel Congo (Tumpuna South).

Similarly, persons living downstream of the North Oropouche River, in areas such as: North Oropouche, Vega De Oropouche, Fishing Pond, Sangre Grande, and Caigual, are also urged to be cautious. Likewise, along the South Oropouche River, persons in the vicinity of villages such as: Debe, Tulsa Village, Penal, Barrackpore, and San Francique are reminded to be alert. 

Because of the extent of the rainfall over the past few days, the ODPM is also reminding persons that the soil is very saturated. Consequently, this can result in landslides in areas so prone, which in Trinidad especially includes the villages along the North Coast Road, Santa Cruz, Diego Martin, St Anns, Lopinot, Cheeyou, Sangre Chiquito, South Oropouche, Sangre Grande, Princess Town and Cipero.

In Tobago, the areas of concern are the villages along the Northern Coast inclusive of Castara, Moriah, Mason Hall, Golden Lane, Providence Road and Plymouth Road. 

In preparation for the escalation in the alert levels to Orange, the ODPM held its 2nd Emergency Multi-stakeholder Coordination and Readiness Meeting that involved representatives from the disaster management agencies. These included the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (TTMS), Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government (MRDLG), Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF), Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT), Ministry of Health (MOH), Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (TTEC) and the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) among others. 

At these meetings, the TTMS provides updates on the potential impact of the weather system and agencies provide updates on their states of readiness and whether any assistance is required. 

While agencies are ready to assist as required, the public is encouraged to support each other by remaining ready and sharing only official information from the ODPM, TTMS and the MRDLG.  

The ODPM reiterates that Trinidad and Tobago is not under any Tropical Storm or Hurricane Watch or Warning.

If persons are impacted by impacts of the adverse weather, immediately contact the Municipal Corporations’ Disaster Management Units and the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) via the relevant hotline numbers below: 

End

Issued by:

Public Information, Education and Community Outreach Unit