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That is the main concern for Antelope Street Extension resident Oscar Palacios. We spoke to him yesterday at the ITVET shelter but he and his family went back home this morning. We met him and his children cleaning up the house and trying to salvage the little they had left after the flood.

Courtney Weatherburne
"When you left Saturday, the water completely covered the bridge."

Oscar Palacios, Flood Victim
"We couldn't see the bridge. The water was already coming into the house. I went outside because I knew where the bridge was and where I could stand and that's why I came out and I took my family out. Because if I waited for help, help would not come to try and help me to take out my family."

Courtney Weatherburne
"As you said, in your house now, the water also came in here and flooded everything soaked."

Oscar Palacios, Flood Victim
"Yes all my clothes are wet, everything is wet. I put some clothes to dry and try clean up my house a little bit because it looks messed up. The water left everything messed up. You see out there all the dirt; pampers and everything out there. I don't know what will happen after this because it looks like it's raining hard again."

Courtney Weatherburne
"Now if the water rises again and washes away all your things and comes into the house, you have to go back to the shelter?"

Oscar Palacios, Flood Victim
"Well if the water is rising yes. I have to go. I can't wait here. I have 3 small kids and I don't want them to die because I couldn't take them out."

Courtney Weatherburne
"Right now what do you have in your possession? Do you have food supplies? Do you have any dry clothes right now?"

Oscar Palacios, Flood Victim
"I just have one shirt left and short pants. For the babies, I have like 3 more suit of clothes dry. And food, I don't have enough food. I just have a small Dak and one pack of corn flakes that they gave me. I don't have like rice, flour or sugar - I don't have that."

As you heard, Palacios is in need of basic necessities just as many other residents at the shelters and those who chose to wait it out at home do. Well, when we spoke to Councilor Phillip Willoughby he told us that they are working on a coordinated response and relief plan but that residents need to be patient. Today he told us about the infrastructural works that are being done to alleviate the flooding on streets and gave us a brief update on that relief plan.

Phillip Willoughby, Councillor
"Well basically what happened, we started about 7am thereabout. Mr. Berges, his engineer along with personnel BEL, BTL and WASA were contacted. I believe the WASA crew is out here as we try to make some adjustments to the infrastructure so that as to have the water flowing off in a more fast and rapid fashion. On the ground are the personnel from Ministry of Natural Resources who is responsible for the damage assessment and need analysis, who fall under the Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega his CEO Ms. Sharon Ramclam and her liaison officer Ms. Alvarez. They are the ones who along with their staff are coordinating the assessments. They have been on the ground again since morning - the relief and supplies committee. The personnel are on the ground. It's all hands on deck. I know it's rather difficult to hear an individual saying to another 'please wait, we are coming, we are on our way.' I know that is rather difficult to understand because I am not in that shoe on that end feeling the blunt of the system and how it affected the residents. But all I can say, please give us a little window."

There are 13 families currently at one of the ITVET shelters, more families went in last night and today, replacing the few that left. At the YWCA Shelter, there are 5 families left. In terms of the condition of Antelope Street - which was one of the hardest hit - the water has gone down significantly.

This is how it looked yesterday …… and this is how it looked today. Other streets such as Freetown and Queen Street have also improved.