Hurricane Ivan, packing winds of up to 185 km an hour an hour, hammered Tobago yesterday afternoon, leaving a stream of devastation in its wake.
By Corey ConnellyAlthough there were no reported casualties, the category three hurricane, dubbed ?Ivan the Terrible,? hit the northern part of Tobago around 12.55 pm, tearing roofs off houses, felling trees and cutting off electricity on the island.
Hardest hit were Charlotteville, Parlatuvier, Roxborough, Plymouth, Delaford, Mason Hall, Mt St George, Moriah and Canaan.
More than 200 Tobagonians had to be evacuated from coastal areas as Ivan unleashed its wrath.
They were accommodated in shelters at Belle Garden Community Centre, Roxborough Composite, Goodwood Community Centre, Kendall Farm School and Bethel.
Fallen trees, some of which were uprooted by forceful winds, reportedly hampered traffic at Plymouth, Turtle Beach and other areas.
Some flooding was also reported at Crown Point and Arnos Vale.
Hurricane Flora, in 1963, was the last hurricane to hit Tobago.
Elizabeth Williams, a reporter at Channel 5 News, said a part of the roof at the nearby Signal Hill Comprehensive School was blown off by Ivan?s gusty winds.
She said the roof of St Joseph?s Convent in Scarborough was also torn off.
?The wind was howling very, very hard and visibility was poor,? Williams said.
Williams said although many people had obeyed the NEMA advisory to stay indoors, a small group of people were enjoying a game of cards at Black Rock.
At a news conference at Bacolet, THA chief secretary Orville London confirmed that about 14 villages were severely affected by the hurricane.
He said National Security Minister Martin Joseph had promised to supply additional boats to transport supplies to Tobago.
London urged Tobagonians to be careful.
?We have to remain very, very careful, very cautious,? he said.
?People should still remain indoors, follow the normal commonsense procedures, listen to the radios. We have been saying all day that we would be operating on the side of caution.?
Trinidad, too, also felt the effects of Ivan?s fury.
On the north coast, severe winds and rains toppled trees in some areas. Several landslides were also reported at Toco.
Vera Edwards, of Radio Toco, said the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation and T&TEC were on high alert.
Trinidad?s outlook, though, was downgraded to a tropical storm warning at 2 pm yesterday.
Senior meteorologist Glendell de Souza, in an i95.5FM radio interview, said: ?Tobago has felt the brunt of Hurricane Ivan in comparison to Trinidad. There has been significant damage to buildings, trees, people?s property on the whole in several areas.?
Ivan is now headed for Jamaica, Florida and the Gulf Coast.
