By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE government is providing temporary housing for multiple residents displaced by flooding and roof damage during Tropical Storm Imelda, according to Social Services Minister Myles Laroda.

He said help varies depending on the extent of damage, ranging from minor flooding to severe structural failures, including roof collapses in some older Pinewood homes.

“We have some cases of roofs collapsing,” Mr Laroda said yesterday. “We’ve had some people where the flooding has been so bad that they had to move out, and so we have Social Services intervening to assist with temporary shelter.”

He said multiple families are receiving help in Pinewood and other communities, with shelter provided until repairs allow them to return home. The length of assistance, he added, depends on the damage sustained. He did not say how many people are being helped or where they are staying.

“You had some people who had probably half an inch of water in their homes, which they have removed,” he said. “You had others who literally have to have pumps and pump the water out. If your roof collapsed but you could get it ready in two weeks or a month, the government is committed to extend those persons until they are in a position to go back within reason.”

Mr Laroda also clarified that small home repairs fall under Urban Renewal, not the Department of Social Services, a distinction that has caused confusion since a Cabinet reshuffle transferred Urban Renewal to the Ministry of Housing.

He said Social Services steps in only in extreme cases, working with Urban Renewal and the Disaster Risk Management Authority to provide materials where necessary.

Tropical Storm Imelda swept across The Bahamas last weekend, bringing heavy rain, flooding, and power outages but no loss of life. More than 200 people sought shelter in Abaco and Grand Bahama, where evacuations were widely followed and airports briefly closed.