Tuesday February 9th, 2010
- Last update:9 hours 45 min ago
Floods claim three houses
Published: 9 Aug 2009
Walter Stamers moves a barrel of his clothing to dry land yesterday. Photos: Innis Francis
Three households were left homeless yesterday, after heavy rains caused Guaracara River to burst its banks, sending flood waters surging through their houses. Affected are Anderson Stamers, his father Phillip Stamers and uncle Walter Stamers, all of Sixth Street Extension, Battoo Avenue, Marabella. Speaking in an interview, Anderson 27, a father of two, said he was at church with his three-year-old daughter around noon, when his neighbour called him and told him about the rising waters.
His wife and three-month-old son were at home at the time, and were forced to seek refuge at the home of a relative who lived in an upstairs apartment. Anderson, who sells aquarium fish and celery in the market, continued that by the time he reached home at 12.30 pm, the water had risen to more than three feet inside his downstairs apartment. “We have nowhere to stay. All my fishes have died and my goods for the market gone through. Every year this happens, and as fast as we get back on our feet, it happens again,” he said softly, shaking his head as a bag which contained groceries floated out of the apartment into the surging river.
In addition to the foodstuff which he purchased on Friday, Anderson said once again floods destroyed his stove, wardrobe, refrigerator, furniture and every appliance in his home. He estimated that the damage caused to all three apartments amounted to around $75,000. His father Phillip, 57, who is blind in one eye, also had a worried look on his face as he, too, counted his losses. All he could rescue from the flood was a barrel which contained some of his clothes. “It have little children here and everybody here could get real sick,” he said, scratching his skin vigorously.
“I lost everything and I mean everything. I saw my suitcase with my clothes floating down the river and I could not even save it.” The elder Stamers said that in addition to the financial losses, the flood waters brought with it the added danger of snakes, scorpions, and caimans, which can be found in abundance in Guaracara River. “We all have to be very, very careful, because we don’t know what is under the water. We have been lucky so far that no one has been injured, but our luck could run out at any time.”
Walter, 60, picking up where his brother Phillip left off, said the household had tried on numerous occasions to get assistance from the Member of Parliament for the area, Christine Kangaloo, but so far all their cries had fallen on deaf ears. “Every year, as long as the rains come, it is guaranteed that we will lose all our stuff. We are desperately in need of some help, but it seems like no one is taking us seriously.”
http://guardian.co.tt/news/ge
http://guardian.co.tt/news/general/2009/08/07/construction-main-cause-do...
So what is the story on this one!
"Every year this happens,
"Every year this happens, and as fast as we get back on our feet, it happens again,” he said softly" - ????Huh???
And Ryan, what's in the
And Ryan, what's in the water? do we have toxins from the refinery? interesting to take a sample and analyse the hell out of it, you may be surprised? I knew this would happen one day. Time they dredge the river to the sea? build retainer enforcement walls all the way out to sea, another long term project? I guess the Marabella people have to promise to continue the status quo of the politics before you get a whisper of a promise?
Boss I think we need
Boss I think we need Greenpeace for real. And the real EPA from USA, Manning live in Marabella!
Flooding coordination
Flooding coordination activities need some organised approaches.
The term "Every year ", seems to suggest that this problem was not adequately dealt with the first time flooding occurred. These are the type of people who deserve to be moved to safer government housing.Talking to the MP is not the solution to this awful situation.
A coordinated response from the relevant agencies ,NGO"s ,
and coorporate Trinidad and Tobago is what is needed.After all these people need help and are not crabs in the mangrove.
Yes , there should be a
Yes , there should be a coordinated approach by governmental agencies , NGO"s and cooperate Trinidad to relocate these persons to government housing- who are not crabs in the mangrove
I want to know who is answerable and what they have to say about why these people have had to experience this problem more than once.
Yes , there should be a
Yes , there should be a coordinated approach by governmental agencies , NGO"s and cooperate Trinidad to relocate these persons to government housing- who are not crabs in the mangrove
I want to know who is answerable and what they have to say about why these people have had to experience this problem more than once.
Yes, I agree we need to have
Yes, I agree we need to have some approach to deal with flodding. But don't you think that the people in authority are fully aware of this? They just do not care. The elected representatives do not care about anyone after they secure there vote, People? they are just needed to vote for you and then they can go to hell. So sad when all the institutions from the office of the president , the prime minister and all the lessor minions make a massive and deliberate effort to fail. An old man said to me one day, "when politicians want your vote, they will kiss your backside and after they get into office, it's your turn to do the kissing"
Ram, politics is one of the
Ram, politics is one of the worst careers in the world, its the lowest of the low, its using TTs money under false pretences. Some of these politicans, we are more educated and more experienced than they are, We can see their stupidness every day from NEC to Min of health, yet they carry on and the old man was correct,imagine prostituting yourself to get votes, "I will fix that Guaracara river, fm my days in 1981, I saw the problems. I asked Trintoc to do a survey and analysis of baseline toxins in the water but no, so here we go every year toxins come up fm the river and in 10 years we have deformed births, Govt, Imbert fix the river, please, I beg you, if you can build an Island offshore what is it to fix a river from flooding?
Yes Desmond, you are so
Yes Desmond, you are so correct. When the people who are our trustees in goverment do not care about their fellow human beings, we have indeed sunk to the lowest low. 20/20 vision is not about big buildings and fancy airports, it begins with each person and when someone is elected as the leaders in our community, that person carries a greater trust than a normal man and the betrayal of that trust is a crime against humanity.20/20 vision begins with the internal cleansing by all politicians, irrespective of party. I feel very sad for these famalies and tomorrow and the day after and after, we will read of more suffering by the people because someone did not care. So sad for Trinbago...thanks Des
Wait the best is yet to
Wait the best is yet to come. Listen out for the current Minister of Agriculture, ex-banker, ex- foreign attache, when he declares that it is the residents' fault to live and plant gardens near to the river. Only in T&T, mainly the PNM.
Talk bout 2020 vision! Dat
Talk bout 2020 vision! Dat is 2020 vision. Next time Obama and his wife visit Trinidad, we go take them for a boat ride up the Guaracara River. Since Texaco operated the Refinery in the 70s and 80s there has been dumping of waste petroleum in the Guaracara River, there was always a layer of oil on the river which, believe it or not caught fire in the 1970s. Manning rewarded his buddy Malcolm Jones with a National Award for polluting the Guaracara River as CEO of Petrotrin. Dat is 2020 vision!
Rudy Chato Paul, Sr. Let it
Rudy Chato Paul, Sr.
Let it be stated at the outset that I am no fan of the government, or any of political parties in this asylum. That having been said, why is it the government's responsibility each and every time someone experiences these type of problems? "Every time it rains" should teach the individuals that , yo, something probably wrong with the location. Probably we living too close to the drain/river. Who gave authorization for these folks to build there? If Town and Country did, then they are responsible. However, a good guess is that these individuals, like a significant number of T&T citizens, just ups and build something anyplace they see an empty piece of land. Now my tax dollars must be use to subsidize this dotishness 'every time it rains?" The majority of trinis to damm hypocritical! Don't tell me about poor man this and poor man that. Everybody in this place is a poor man 'conveniently.' Poor and dotish are two distinct issues. While I recognize that consistent dotish decisions will eventually lead to poverty, but that is another story.
Water, water, everywhere,
Water, water, everywhere, and not a clean glass to drink.
People of Marabella, you voted Ms Kangaloo into office, and now you see how conscientious she is in serving her constituents. I guess that comes the next election, you will be exercising your democratic right and voting for a M.P. who would fight for your rights. Our gov't of the day has gotten into the habit of boasting about their brilliant performance and successes. But who are the chosen few enjoying these successes? Not our people like these innocent citizens floating down the river with all their worldy goods in plain sight for all to see. Mr. Manning, Lady M., Mr. Imbert, Minister Dick Forde and Ms. Kangaloo, etc. where is your humanity. You have neglected the 'little' people in T&T, and show such disrespect for them. Have a good look at the picture, you will see an innocent man being one of the victims of your failed governance. I hope you are thinking that 'but for the Grace of God, there goes I' because in life nothing is guaranteed, and there is the possibility that you could find yourself in similar situation as this man and others like him. Wake up, oh gov't in power, and face reality - You are sitting in those seats of power to serve the nation, not your 'inner circle'. How many years must these residents live through these ravages before our employees in gov't step up and fix the probems that are leaving us open to the vengence of nature, and crookedness.
With all due respect to the
With all due respect to the person who said that the Government is not to blame, I wish to disagree.
The government because of their refusal to enforce laws and policies, have abdicated their roles of governing and at present are enabling persons to do injury to themselves.
I do agree that people ought not to be living by the river banks but who allows them to live there? It is also the government which is allowing PH driving and dangerous highway driving. If they are not part of the solution ,they are the cause of the problem.
I also agree that my tax dollars should not be spent on people who put themselves in risky situations but again I say that those who should exercise authority in management and enforcing rules have long abdicated their roles.
May God help this nation .