Cedros feels weight of huge waves
What were described by residents as "tsunami-type waves" gushed through several parts of Icacos Village in Cedros on Sunday, affecting more than 600 residents and causing more than a million dollars in losses to property and livestock. Hardest hit along the southwestern coast was Agostini Coconut Estate in Constance Estate, where a retaining wall and part of the road have been destroyed. A house on the estate, owned by Phillip Agostini, was also on the verge of collapsing into the sea. The monster waves, which were up to 20 feet, also crashed into fishing pirogues moored at the beaches in Icacos and Cedros, causing thousands of dollars in damage. Reaching as far as 800 yards inland, the waves pushed mounds of slush and debris into the road and under residents’ homes from about 2 pm on Sunday. The massive waves pushed pirogues, which were moored at Icacos and Cedros beaches, into the road. Yesterday, a number of residents of Lalla Road and Constance Estate were stranded in their homes, and several children were unable to attend school. When Newsday visited the affected areas yesterday, residents and fishermen were bracing for another onslaught of the huge waves as the tide came in yesterday. At Bonnase Village in Cedros, fishermen secured their pirogues to lamp posts and trees to prevent them from being washed out to sea. Affected fisherman Benji Mohammed said when the 20-foot waves began crashing on shore, people began running towards their home. He said several fishermen used tractors to pull their boats out of the sea. Mohammed called on Government ministers to visit the area and provide some sort of relief for the affected residents. Resident Jaichilo Ackool said the seawater gushed into his home, causing damage to his furniture and appliances. "We eating, sleeping and cooking in water," another resident, Dodo Mohammed, complained. Surveying the damage to his property yesterday, Agostini, who is one of the main suppliers of coconuts and copras in Cedros, said it was the first time he had seen waves of that size in Cedros. He said on Sunday evening when he left his house, which is on the shoreline, the sea was unusually rough. "But nobody imagined this magnitude of destruction, and in one day," he added. Agostini said when he arrived yesterday morning, 100 yards of the road which led to his house was submerged by sea water. He added that the waves had destroyed a retaining sea wall and pushed huge boulders under his house. Agostini, who has another house in St Andrews Estate in Cedros, said the house was ruined as the front of the house was already on the brink of falling into the sea, and the walls were cracked. He said the waves were crashing against his property and the water was reaching far under the house. Agostini said his business was not affected, but more than a 100-acre portion of his estate was flooded. Cedros Fishermen Association president, Ramcharan Deochan, said several boats had been damaged on Sunday. He said the families of more than 200 fishermen were affected because the fishermen were afraid of venturing out to sea. Sea reclaims Tyrico Bay — More monster waves bash North Coast Abnormally huge waves yesterday reclaimed the popular Tyrico Beach, cutting away access to the beach normally used by bathers, and flooding the North Coast Road near the lifeguard station at Maracas Bay, causing panic among residents of the tiny fishing villages. Around 9 am yesterday, a 20-foot wave flooded the Maracas Beach area and then crossed the road, sending lifeguards and people viewing the rough seas scampering for safety. All clean-up operations in the area proved futile yesterday as the raging sea waters continued to flood the Maracas beachfront. By 10 am yesterday, Tyrico Bay was no longer a beach as the sea appeared to have reclaimed the land. Lifeguards told Newsday that they thought that normalcy would have returned yesterday, but the rough seas continued to flood the area. The situation worsened around midday, when the waves continuously flooded the beach. When Newsday was interviewing a lifeguard, a huge wave crossed the beachfront and into our path. The raging waters reached as far as the carpark. Members of the public were denied access to the beach and the shark and bake vendors were unable to conduct business. Villagers of the area said it was the first time that they had witnessed such rage from the sea. Fishing boats remained inland, as fishermen looked on at the sea helplessly. They said they expect a fish shortage in the country as a result of the rough seas. At Las Cuevas, some unlucky fishermen who were unable to save their boats on Sunday contemplated their future because of the losses. Rajwantie Ramoutar of Maracas Bay said monster waves lashed against the shore and flooded her yard on Sunday night. She said she was too scared to sleep and feared for her life as the sea roared and flooded her home. In a release yesterday, the Seismic Research Unit at the University of the West Indies stated that records revealed no evidence of earthquakes in the region which could have generated the waves. Scientists have concluded that the waves were not related to any hydro-geologic phenomena and cannot be classified as tsunamis. Scientists will be conducting further investigations to better understand the phenomenon. The Office of Disaster Prepared-ness and Management advised that Trinidad and Tobago will continue to experience rough seas over the next 12 hours. Reports out of Tobago are that one person is missing because of the unusually rough seas. Hindus, who normally conduct special prayers to the sea during an event known as Kartic, said yesterday that the mother of the sea, Mother Ganga, is reacting to something. Hindus yesterday recited special prayers as a result of the strange sea patterns.
By NALINEE SEELAL
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"Cedros feels weight of huge waves"