Scenes of flooding in Trinidad.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad--Trinidad and Tobago is cleaning up after Tropical Storm Karen caused widespread flooding and other damage on Sunday.
Downpours associated with the storm – which is now moving across the Caribbean Sea – caused landslides and left several houses and commercial buildings underwater. Some residents had to be rescued as their homes flooded.
Meanwhile, high winds downed utility poles and trees and blew off roofs.
And even after a Tropical Storm Warning had been discontinued, a red alert for riverine flooding was issued at 3:00pm on Sunday because of the heavy rains, and the Met Office warned that flooding was a significant threat for areas near major river courses and tributaries as river levels were near threshold values and further rainfall was expected.
By Monday morning, an orange level Adverse Weather Warning was in effect and all schools remained closed. But National Security Minister Stuart Young said at a press conference on Sunday that government offices would open as normal.
“We are asking everyone to exercise caution, but we’re not going to be shutting down businesses and the government. We have just taken that decision after consultation with the meteorological services. They advised we take the decision to close schools,” he said.
And as the twin-island republic deals with the aftermath of the storm, other parts of the Caribbean are preparing for now-Tropical Depression Karen’s arrival. ~ Caribbean360 ~
