Carenage residents unfazed by Hurricane Ivan

Residents of Carenage, especially those living close to the edge of the sea remained unfazed by tropical storm Ivan yesterday, carrying on as though it was business as usual in the Western Peninsula. Even fishermen remained unconcerned about Hurricane Ivan insisting that the storm would only dump heavy rainfall and strong winds, but no major damage to Trinidad. The lone grocery in the area remained opened for business as well as the many bars in the area.

At Carenage, three bathers were seen having a good time as they dived into the cool and tempting water. Wayne Persad of Cunupia and his two friends told Newsday that he was in the area seeking employment and decided to take a sea bath. He said that he was not afraid to venture into the sea yesterday declaring “Trinidad is a blessed country and I feel that we are not in any real danger,” said the father of two. Several yachties remained indoors yesterday preparing for the effects of Hurricane Ivan. They said that they heeded all the warnings and were preparing themselves for the expected bad weather.

At the Carenage fish market Elfin Sinnette, a fisherman said that on Monday night, he and others went fishing despite the storm warning. He caught a 40 pound King fish which he proudly displayed. In his stall were Carite, fry dry, Bouchet and Cavali. Another man sold nine limes for $5. Newsday learned that  a crew of fishermen left yesterday to fish. They were expected back around 3 pm yesterday. Fishermen kept watch for their return. By 4 pm yesterday, the sea condition changed rapidly with choppy waters. Opposite Newsday’s office, huge waves could be seen lashing the port authority’s sea front. The monster waves measured as high as four metres and were expected to be as high as six to seven metres.

At 3.32 pm in Tobago, the weather conditions were windy with little rainfall. Several parts of the island were without power. At 3.25 pm, the eye of the hurricane was 35 miles east of Grenada and was heading in a northerly direction. The National Hurricane Centre in Miami downgraded Ivan as a tropical storm warning for Trinidad. However, it was advised that the path of Hurricane Ivan was expected to pass over Grenada, the Grenadines, and St Vincent. It remained a category three hurricane moving at 120 miles an hour. The hurricane was expected to also hit Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba. It was also described as a major hurricane by Jennifer Pralgo of the National Hurricane Centre. She added that residents of Florida were concerned about the path of Ivan and were monitoring the situation closely.