(Trinidad Guardian) In an unusual feat, a now confirmed tornado touched down in parts of Woodbrook and Invaders Bay this afternoon, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
Showers and thunderstorms developed across western Trinidad, the norm during the late wet season. However, just the right conditions were in place for winds to turn with height, necessary for tornado formation.
By 12 45 pm, the tornado began its rampage, ripping a roof off a fire safety business on the corner of Wrightson Road and Roaslino Street, Woodbrook.
Sheets of galvanize, entangled with nearby power lines, caused a brief outage to parts of Woodbrook and western Trinidad.
The tornado progressed towards the West/Southwest, ripping galvanize sheets off the Children’s Authority of Trinidad and Tobago’s building at Invader’s Bay.
The last trace of destruction resulting from this tornado was spotted in a field, just east of Movie Towne Port- of- Spain as gusty winds downed a large, mature tree.
Fire and T&TEC officials were quickly on-site to both buildings, which sustained damage, but ongoing heavy rainfall and dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning hampered recovery efforts.
Flooding Across North-Western Trinidad
As with all heavy showers and thunderstorms that move through the area, street flooding has become the new normal.
Street flooding was reported across parts of Maraval, lower and Western Port of Spain, as well as on the Beetham Highway eastbound and along the Eastern Main Road in Morvant.
Gusty Winds Elsewhere
Roof damage was also reported at the Port of Port-of-Spain, resulting from straight-line-winds, which are normal with strong thunderstorms.
Weaker branches just off Sackville Street, Port-of-Spain were floating in floodwaters yesterday afternoon, brought down by strong winds.
