fp Turks and Caicos

The Providenciales Red Cross is almost out of plastic tarpaulins after giving them to 400 households, and now it needs mosquito netting to help protect storm victims from growing swarms of mosquitoes breeding in widespread flood waters that still have not receded or been pumped dry.

Dengue fever is transmitted by mosquitoes, so people are warned to prevent sources of standing water around homes and businesses where mosquitoes can breed. Not all mosquitoes in the TCI can transmit dengue, which is spread only by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito.

A government mosquito fogger was damaged Aug. 24 when Hurricane Irene passed 40 miles southwest of Providenciales with winds of 100 mph, delaying spraying of infested areas. That problem was reportedly solved on Sept. 1 so that spraying could begin.

Callers on Provo were also told that the department did not currently have chemicals to treat the large number of areas of standing water across the island.

Both Providenciales and Middle Caicos are the islands most in need of mosquito control measures, Brothwell said.

“We’ve got some mosquito nets in our stocks, so we’re going to start delivering those as well, but we don’t have that many, so we’re looking at how we can prioritize that.” The most vulnerable are the elderly, young mothers with babies and children, she said.

The Red Cross could use donations of mosquito netting, plastic tarps and non-perishable canned food because its stores of all three are being depleted, she said. Some people on Provo reportedly had gone without food or water for several days after the storm.

In addition to standing water, the biggest problem on Provo was roof damage.

“There were quite a few people who had roof damage,” especially in Five Cays, Brothwell said. “Their houses weren’t particularly watertight before the storm. They’re certainly not watertight now, so we’ve concentrated on giving out plastic tarps to do temporary roof repairs.”

Most of the tarps came from the U.K.’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service ship Wave Ruler, which arrived off Grand Turk on Aug. 25, she said. The Red Cross’ small stock of tarps was quickly depleted.

Asked Sept. 1 for an updated damage assessment of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Director of the National Emergency Operations Center Horatio Tuitt said that information wasn’t ready because they are awaiting additional information from various departments and have yet to gain access to certain areas in Providenciales due to flooding.

However, members of the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies and the Ministry of Health met Aug. 31 with the governor’s Advisory Council to brief members on the handling of Hurricane Irene and its aftermath.

“The council applauded the efforts made to mitigate the effects of the storm and suggested ways in which (government’s) response to hurricanes might be further improved,” the council said in a press statement. “Areas of focus will include hurricane shelters, mosquito and rodent control, and improved information flow to the public.”