No water, electricity in Mayaro

Over 40 roofs were either partially or fully blown off as Bret rampaged across the island leaving downed power lines and toppled trees in its wake.

Mayaro MP Rushton Paray said the devastation was so widespread that councillors and aldermen of the Mayaro/ Rio Claro Regional Corporation had been asked to prioritise their projects as there was limited funding available.

“The corporation is mobilising, we had over 40 roofs blown off, so that is the priority right now because we have some pending bad weather still based on the bands that are coming in - so the priority is to cover those houses,” Paray said in an interview at the corporation yesterday.

“The second item is to get some basic food supplies and water to families that are in dire need and the third would be addressing issues of flooding.” He said electricity and water supplies were cut at 8.37 pm on Monday leaving the constituency in darkness.

When Newsday visited the communities yesterday, electricity and water had still not been restored while business places, including gas stations, fast food outlets and groceries were shut. Paray noted that the communications network had proved to be challenging as both mobile providers had limited service in the region. “The communications network is down, Digicel is down, Bmobile has dropped their power in terms of reducing some of their mobile tower heights so communications with the councillors, with the people, with disaster management unit teams is proving to be a challenge this morning but we trying our best to make it work.

“The priority right now is to cover the homes and get the families back into the homes.

Obviously as first responder, the disaster management unit is like a trauma surgeon, you manage the situation so by tomorrow social services are going to come in and they have another suite of support.” He said there was severe flooding in several areas such as Enid Village, Navet Village, Mabalsingh and Crapaud Flats in Biche where several homes were still under water. Paray said Mayaro did not experience any flooding as the area was “well drained” with the emphasis placed on rivers and drains during the dry season.

For his part, Mayaro/ Guayaguayare councillor Kyron James said the devastation left by Bret was the worst he had ever seen as 12 families had lost their roofs in his electoral district. One such family was that of 53-year- Sookram Sonny, a disabled man whose entire roof had been blown off by the storm.

“We were all home, my wife, my daughterin- law and her children when we hear a howling sound and then the whole roof went up,” he said. “It was real scary