Hurricane Season starts; TCI Public Works talks Reducing Flood Risk

By Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, June 12, 2023 – With a warning of inclement weather to hit the Turks and Caicos and the possibility of a hurricane this season, residents are being reassured that the Department of Public Works is making improvements to decrease flooding risk all across the country.; Garvin Thomas, Director of Public Works and Deputy Permanent Secretary of PPID detailed the changes.

“Most of you are concerned about the drainage due to the heavy rainfall that we have been having over the past two months. However, we are doing our best, we have all the drains cleared,” he said.

Additional works include:

• New wells for Grand Turk and Provo in critical areas,
• New gates to regulate water in Salt Cay,
• Canal completed for South Caicos to fix years long flooding issues,
• New Wells for North and Middle Caicos in critical areas,
• Additional pumps in Downtown Providenciales to remove water from flooded areas quickly,
• Four new pumps at Sunny Foods to prevent flooding (which are now in trial stages)

Thomas also said shelters have been checked for safety, and generators to power them are in good condition.

“This is nothing new to us and I think we have become better at it over the years,” he assured residents; this improvement is credited to more resources being poured into the department from the Government.

In addition, residents are asked not to continue disposing of their garbage improperly, especially not in the drains as the practice makes it more likely areas will suffer localised flooding.