Emily clean-up almost complete

This was disclosed yesterday by acting director of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), Dr Myron Chin, when the ODPM stood down its Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) which was put into effect for the storm.

Dr Chin chaired the final meeting of the centre yesterday, where members gave a status report of its operations in areas which were affected by Emily.

The EOC members reported that Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (DANA) of the affected areas was 85 percent completed. Based on the analysis, food hampers were distributed by the Red Cross, Share and the Tunapuna Regional Corporation to affected families over the weekend, and will continue to be distributed if the need arises.

Dr Chin said several mattresses were also distributed to affected persons and clean-up operations were a multi-agency exercise conducted over several days. He said the exercise was carried out in areas such as Caroni, including Frederick Settlement, Torrecilla Gardens Arima, the city of Port-of-Spain, Maraval, Blanchisseuse, Maracas and Chaguaramas, where there were debris and mud from flooding and landslides littered the landscape. Dr Chin said the clean-up exercise was 85 percent completed and was expected to be fully completed by mid-week.

He added that the Fire Services will continue to supply Frederick Settlement residents with a limited supply of water, until a regular supply of water from WASA is resumed.

Dr Chin said members of the Defence Force, its volunteer service and the engineer battalion of the regiment were deployed to Tobago over the weekend.

He said they will remain there to assist the ODPM with repairs to houses. Dr Chin said the soldiers had already assisted with rebuilding works at Plymouth, Roxborough and Calder hall, and, at the request of the ODPM, Tobago, tarpaulins were sent as a temporary cover for some persons last week.

Dr Chin thanked all members of the EOC for their "unstinting dedication to the management of disasters." He noted that there was growing cooperation among inter-agencies which facilitated quick action in dealing with the various scenarios that stemmed from Emily.

He also thanked the Red Cross and members of the Amateur Radio League for their work in keeping the ODPM and the nation in touch with real time information during the passage of the storm.

The EOC comprises the Ministries of National Security, Social Development, Local Government, Health, Education, Works and Transport, Public Utilities and the Environment, Community Development and Gender Affairs, the Red Cross, all members of the protective services, the Met Office and the Government Information Service.