Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 05/Oct 09:51

Flora: the haunting hurricane

DR RITA PEMBERTON Before the Tobago House of Assembly was established in 1980, three decisive events occurred that would affect the island individually and together. These were union with Trinidad in 1889/1899, the nation’s independence on August 31, 1962; and then on September 30, 1963, came a blast that seemed intent on blowing the island off its geographical moorings into oblivion. In a two-phased attack by roaring winds, Hurricane Flora hit the island. Neither the first nor the third of these events was expected and planned for in Tobago, but in combination, the three had life-changing implications for the island and its population. The first was a decision of the imperial government, made out of concern for imperial interests and conveyed to the two colonies by imperial edict, without regard for the wishes of the population of both islands, where the ruling elites were opposed to the arrangement. As a result, there was no preparation for the union of two completely different entities, and consequently the relationship got off to a rocky start. Independence was welcomed with great expectations in Tobago, but before any meaningful development could occur, Hurricane Flora hit. Of the three events, the most impactful in both the short and long term was the hurricane, which brought unprecedented change. On the morning of Monday, September 30, 1963, the people of Tobago went about their businesses as on any normal working day. There were no warnings of bad weather, so there was no preparation. When notice was issued, the first phase of the hurricane had already hit the island. Terrified workers and schoolchildren scrambled over roads which became rivers studded with fallen trees, galvanize and other building material, in their attempts to get to their homes – which many were not able to reach, because some no longer existed. Life was never the same on the island after that day. When Trinidad and Tobago were unified, despite the hostility from both sides, the utility of Tobago to the union was well demonstrated. It was an agricultural island and though wages there were shamefully low, there was no scarcity of food, and the population was able to feed itself and produce a surplus for export. Its produce was gratefully received by the workers in the larger island, whose wages put imported food beyond their reach, and the large section of unemployed. This increased food insecurity for those who did not have access to land for cultivation. A perusal of some of the items produced in Tobago and sent to Trinidad reveals the nature of the support Tobago provided to the population of Trinidad. At union, there was no official means of communication between Trinidad and Tobago, but several private Tobago-owned sloops made the crossing, carrying people and goods to Trinidad and returning with items for sale in Tobago. They included vessels with names such as Comet, Welcome, Victor, Greyhound and Sunbeam. In 1898, Tobago’s exports to Trinidad, which were valued at £14, 433, nine shillings and threepence, included: 824 head of cattle, 2,095 goats, 487 sheep, 1,916 pigs, 1,827 fowls, 33 barrels of farine, 5,273 gallons of coconut oil, 157 hogsheads of molasses, 8,004 hundredweight (cwt) of sugar, 557 bags of cocoa and 223,125 coconuts. Also exported were 2,234 square feet of cedar, eight mules, 57 horses and 52 dogs. This trade, which continued through the 1950s, was abruptly interrupted by Flora, because one of its main casualties was agriculture. Tree crops were destroyed: bananas, plantain, cocoa, coconuts and fruit trees were uprooted or blown down by the fierce winds, and gardens submerged in flooded areas. Some trees were destroyed by landslides across the island, especially in the windward areas. These problems were immediately visible, and while the prospect of replanting was daunting, the magnitude of the issue only became evident after clearing and a return to normality was attempted. Farmers who tried to revive their gardens complained that the soil refused to yield. The winds had deposited salt over the island, burning the soil and making it infertile. There seemed little chance of a return to agriculture as they had known it. The second problem was related to the repair and rebuilding to make homes, offices, churches and schools habitable and roads accessible. The government instituted a hurricane relief programme which employed able-bodied males for overtime work to restore the post-hurricane island. [caption id="attachment_1182480" align="alignnone" width="433"] -[/caption] That programme was the final nail in the coffin of Tobago’s agriculture. The older generation of farmers had given up hope, and the younger generation sought less demanding employment. This immediately eliminated agriculture, which was considered too laborious and time-consuming and the returns too low compared with the safety of government employment. The reconstruction programme provided employment for large numbers of workers, and it was relatively easy to get a job. After roads were cleared and homes repaired or rebuilt, the government provided additional funding for Tobago’s development, which continued to attract the younger generation. This led to a dependency on government employment and drained any remaining interest in agriculture, which never regained its prominence in Tobago from before 1963. As a result, the tables were turned, and Tobago found itself importing locally produced food from Trinidad, which continues to the present. Thirdly, the forest reserve lost much of its tree cover, causing dissipation of its wildlife and, most notably, the migration of the cocrico from its forest residence to an urban life. In so doing, the bird population has exploded, as it found easy and more gentrified fodder in the gardens of housing settlements, much to the chagrin of residents. The bird is now considered a pest, and there have been consistent calls for its removal from the country’s coat of arms – which does not offer a resolution of the problem. Apart from the claim that people are authorised to kill birds which occupy their spaces, there is no indication of a concerted attempt to solve this matter – in the absence of which, long after the legal 16-year occupation, its confident, lusty morning post-feeding chorus indicates that the cocrico has in fact claimed adverse possession of the urban areas of Tobago. On September 30, 2025, 62 years after Hurricane Flora ravaged the island, its damaging legacy prevails. Tobago continues to struggle to revive and strengthen its agricultural sector, while its population remains dependent on government employment and imported food.   The post Flora: the haunting hurricane appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.