Black Immigrant Daily News

Hurricane Fiona strengthened into a Category 4 storm Wednesday after devastating Puerto Rico, then lashing the Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It was forecast to squeeze past Bermuda later this week.

The storm has been blamed for directly causing at least four deaths in its march through the Caribbean, where winds and torrential rain in Puerto Rico left a majority of people on the US territory without power or running water. Hundreds of thousands of people scraped mud out of their homes following what authorities described as “historic” flooding.

Power company officials initially said it would take a few days for electricity to be fully restored, but then appeared to backtrack late Tuesday night. Only 26 per cent had power as of Wednesday morning, three days after it hit the island.

“Hurricane Fiona has severely impacted electrical infrastructure and generation facilities throughout the island. We want to make it very clear that efforts to restore and reenergise continue and are being affected by severe flooding, impassable roads, downed trees, deteriorating equipment, and downed lines,” said Luma, the company that operates power transmission and distribution.

The hum of generators could be heard across the territory as people became increasingly exasperated. Some were still trying to recover from Hurricane Maria, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm five years ago, causing the deaths of an estimated 2,975 people.

Luis Noguera, who was helping clear a landslide in the central mountain town of Cayey, said Maria left him without power for a year. Officials themselves didn’t declare full resumption of service until 11 months after Maria hit.

“We paid an electrician out of our own pocket to connect us,” he recalled, adding that he doesn’t think the government will be of much help again after Fiona.

Long lines were reported at several gas stations across Puerto Rico, and some pulled off a main highway to collect water from a stream.

“We thought we had a bad experience with Maria, but this was worse,” said Gerardo Rodr?guez, who lives in the southern coastal town of Salinas.

Parts of the island had received more than 25 inches (64 centimetres) of rain and more had fallen on Tuesday.

By late Tuesday, authorities said they had restored power to nearly 380,000 of the island’s 1.47 million customers. Piped water service was initially knocked out for most of the Island’s users due to lack of power and turbid water at filtration plants, but 55 per cent had service Wednesday morning.

On Wednesday, the National Weather Service in San Juan issued a heat advisory for several cities because a majority of people on the island of 3.2 million remain without power.

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency traveled to Puerto Rico on Tuesday as the agency announced it was sending hundreds of additional personnel to boost local response efforts.

Meanwhile, the US Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency on the island and deployed a couple of teams to the island.

In the Turks and Caicos Islands, officials reported minimal damage and no deaths despite the storm’s eye passing close to Grand Turk, the small British territory’s capital island, on Tuesday morning.

The government had imposed a curfew and urged people to flee flood-prone areas.

“Turks and Caicos had a phenomenal experience over the past 24 hours,” said Deputy Governor Anya Williams. “It certainly came with its share of challenges.”

The US National Hurricane Center said Fiona had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph) on Wednesday morning and it was centered about 700 miles (1,125 kilometres) southwest of Bermuda, heading north at 8 mph (13 kph).

It was likely to approach Bermuda late Thursday or Friday and then Canada’s Atlantic provinces on Saturday.

The storm killed a man in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe, another man in Puerto Rico who was swept away by a swollen river and two people in the Dominican Republic: one killed by a falling tree and the other by a falling electric post.

Two additional deaths were reported in Puerto Rico as a result of the blackout. A 70-year-old man burned to death after he tried to fill his generator with gasoline while it was running and a 78-year-old man police say inhaled toxic gases emitted from his generator.

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By D?NICA COTO

Alejandro Granadillo contributed to this report.

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PDP Politcal leader Watson S Duke and THA Chief Sec Farley Augustine at the PDP Trinidad launch, Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain on May 1,2022. – JEFF K MAYERS

Political analyst Dr Indira Rampersad believes the widening rift between Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) political leader Watson Duke and THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine could benefit the People’s National Movement (PNM) in the long run.

The PNM led the THA for 21 unbroken years before its 14-1 defeat to the PDP in the December 6, 2021 THA elections.

On Monday, Secretary for Health, Wellness and Social Protection Dr Faith BYisrael was sworn in as the assembly’s new Deputy Chief Secretary at President’s House, St Ann’s, replacing Duke, who resigned abruptly from the position last week Thursday.

Her election came after a public feud between Duke and Augustine over what he claimed was the latter’s failure to respond adequately to the plight of members of the Roxborough Folk Performers who had gone to perform at several events in New York.

Duke claimed the assembly did not provide enough funding to the group to cover expenses other than airfare. As a result, he charged, the members were stranded, stressed and hungry.

Augustine had denied the claims, saying the THA provided part-sponsorship for the group of $400,417.50 for airfare and other expenses.

The Chief Secretary later said he was reviewing Duke’s role as Deputy Chief Secretary, as he was not carrying out several of his responsibilities.

Duke responded by firing Augustine, BYisrael and Alicia Roberts-Patterson as deputy political leaders.

Rampersad, a lecturer in the Department of Political Science, UWI, St Augustine, said Duke’s actions has placed the PDP in a precarious position, socially, politically and economically.

Saying he had virtually crossed the floor as an independent, Rampersad said she has seen polls which suggest there is support for both men.

She added if some PDP members decide to support Duke by sitting alongside him on the opposite side of the chamber, that could have serious implications for passing bills and the smooth operations of the THA and would affect the wider society.

“This is the social impact, because the party holds the THA together,” she said.

Rampersad also recalled that the PDP was hoping to capture the two Tobago parliamentary seats in the next general election

“That is now in jeopardy, because whenever there is a split, the PNM emerges the winner. So the PNM must be smelling like a rose, and ultimately they stand to benefit from all of this.”

Rampersad also noted that Duke made several damning corruption allegations against Augustine, to which he must respond.

Augustine told reporters on Monday he plans to sue Duke. He added he has already consulted with his attorneys, who include a King’s Counsel.

Observing that Duke and Augustine have different personalities and leadership styles, Rampersad said mediation is one option through which the two could come together for the benefit of the party and THA.

“Farley Augustine is a new kid on the block in many ways in the political arena, while Watson Duke has much more experience and is more strategic and astute politically, more of a hardline politician. Farley was groomed by Duke and is really his protege.

“The best thing for them, if they want to move forward politically and in the best interest of Tobago, if they want to be politically successful as what they had done before, is to mend their differences.”

She said many people had approached them to do so “because they recognise that ultimately it is going to be the people of Tobago that will suffer.”

Rampersad said while Augustine, the assemblyman for Parlatuvier/ L’Anse Fourmi/Speyside, has grown politically in terms of his leadership of the THA, it does not mean he would get overwhelming support in Tobago should a THA or general election be called.

“If he thinks that, he is misguided. The THA is important for the people of Tobago, the general election is important for Trinidad and Tobago. The people of Tobago will be concerned about both, because their fortunes rest on both.

“So if this thing does not mend and heal properly, the only solution is that there must be a mediator, formally or informally. They have to work together. Many politicians have put their differences aside in the interest of the party. And if you want to stay in power you have to do what you have to do. Power is the name of the game.”

Rampersad also believes Duke’s resignation as Deputy Chief Secretary was hasty: “Because it is always easier to fight from inside. I think he should have waited a while before resigning.”

She believes Duke’s decision to fire Augustine as a deputy leader was also premature.

“Those decisions were too hasty and too rash because of the mammoth implications.”

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File photo/Lincoln Holder

THE public health regulations – which mandate that masks must be worn in healthcare facilities – have been extended to December 31.

Speaking at the Health Ministry’s virtual press conference on Wednesday, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said, “No material changes have been made…so it’s a simple renewal.”

On July 17, the Attorney General’s office issued Legal Notice 140 of 202, ending the legal requirements for mask-wearing in public. But it remained mandatory for public and private healthcare facilities. And on Wednesday, the office of the Attorney General issued an extension of this via Legal Notice 189.

The public mask mandate was initially enforced in August 2020 and people could have been fined $1,000 on first offence, $2,000 for the second, and $3,000 for the third offence.

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Aseguró que el servicio de agua potable, aunque la AAA ha hecho lo posible, se ve afectado por la falta de generación de energía

El alcalde de Cayey, Rolando Ortiz Velázquez, informó las condiciones en las que se encuentra su pueblo a tres días del paso de Fiona, que incluyen la falta de agua y luz en el 90 por ciento de la ciudad.

“Estamos en comunicación con Doriel Pagán (directora de la Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados [AAA]). Nos está colaborando extremadamente bien. Ya pudimos encender la planta de filtros de agua en el área del pueblo. Esperamos que en las próximas horas ya esto se pueda estar restableciendo […] Vemos la ausencia de LUMA para energizar los sistemas […] Cayey no tiene razón por la cual no tener energía eléctrica en este momento. Yo no he visto un camión de LUMA en Cayey […] LUMA no le ha querido responder a Cayey”, expresó Ortiz Velázquez al indicar que la situación será complicada para la ciudadanía si no se logra energizar lo antes posible para, a su vez, contar con el servicio de agua potable, pero que, aun así, no ha logrado comunicarse con la privatizadora.

Asimismo, el primer ejecutivo municipal informó que están brindando alimentos preparados, y que se mantiene en comunicación con el gobernador Pedro Pierluisi y otros líderes agenciales, con quienes coordina trámites que, al momento, van bien. Por otra parte, informó que los derrumbes se acumulan, puesto que tras limpiar un espacio, vuelve a llenarse de material debido a la saturación del terreno. Además, informó que la mayor parte de los refugiados se encuentran en hogares de familiares y vecinos.

Y aunque el caso de LUMA Energy mantiene preocupado al alcalde, indicó que no es igual el caso de la AAA. El alcalde describió que han hecho “lo indecible” tras instalar múltiples plantas y mejorar su capacidad de distribución, entre ellas, la del Puente de Hierro y la de Farallón. No obstante, mencionó que casi una decena de comunidades no disfrutarán de agua potable debido, precisamente, a la falta de energía. Además, afirmó que los comercios también sufren las consecuencias.

“No entendemos las razones. Quisiéramos entenderlas. Yo no he podido dialogar con un recurso de alto nivel que nos pueda dar una justificación y que nos pueda explicar. Sí vemos, en otros municipios, distribución de camiones. Es una cosa increíble y el hecho de que no quieran llegar hasta nosotros (el personal de LUMA Energy) es algo inhumano, injusto. Va en contra de los principios más altos de lo que puede ser el compromiso que tiene que tener una instrumentalidad pública que administra fondos públicos con la gente, con la familia”, finalizó Ortiz Velázquez.

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La Policía informó que a las 11:32 de la mañana de hoy, martes, se reportó el fallecimiento de una persona en una residencia del sector La Joba, barrio Florida, en Naguabo.

Según la Uniformada, se recibió una llamada telefónica al Sistema de Emergencias 9-1-1, que alertó sobre un caso médico en el lugar. Al llegar los agentes del distrito de Naguabo, encontraron a Ediberto García Vázquez, de 56 años y residente en el lugar, en la sala de la residencia, sentado al lado de un generador eléctrico y sin signos vitales.

Relacionados con estos hechos, el cuerpo de García Vázquez no presentaba signos de violencia visibles.

La agente Ileana Cruz, adscrita al Cuerpo de Investigaciones Criminales (CIC) de Humacao, supervisada por el teniente Félix Morales, continúa con la investigación, en unión al fiscal Héctor del Valle, quien instruyó el traslado del cuerpo al Instituto de Ciencias Forenses (ICF) para fines de autopsia.

Nota relacionada: Hombre es hallado sin signos vitales al lado de un generador eléctrico en residencia de Naguabo

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