Caribbean Immigrants Among Ida’s Victims In NYC

By NAN Staff Writer

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Sept. 3, 2021: Two Caribbean immigrants are among the dead in New York City after historic flooding caused by Hurricane Ida.

Trinidad and Tobago born nationals, Prematti “Tara” Ramskiret, 43, and her son Nicholas Ramskiret, 22, both died when floodwaters burst through the concrete wall of their 183rd Street, Hollis, Queens basement apartment in New York.

They were both reportedly attempting to salvage their belongings at a Queens, New York apartment where they lived when they were killed.

Prematti’s husband Dameshwar and her other son Dylan were not in the apartment at the time.

Neighbors said they could do little to help them, as within seconds water rose as high as four feet.

The immigrants are  among at least 45 people killed during the devastating floods across northeastern United States, which meteorologists said dropped 35 billion gallons of rainfall in just five hours.

T&T’s Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne extended condolences to the family after confirming they were T&T nationals.

“We have confirmation that a female national and her adult son tragically drowned in Queens NY during these terrible floods. The T&T Consulate General has conveyed condolences to the family, and extended an offer to assist in any way possible,” said Browne.

Most of New York City’s deaths as of yesterday were reported in Queens, while New Jersey reported the highest number of damage to property. The death toll continues to rise, with officials saying it could be days before the count is over.

The deluge of rain on Wednesday, Sept. 1st, turned streets and subway platforms into rivers. Emergency responders in boats rescued people from the rooftops of cars. Hundreds of people were evacuated from trains and subways. A tornado in southern New Jersey levelled a stretch of houses. Some rivers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania were still rising.

The rain broke records set just 11 days before by Tropical Storm Henri, underscoring warnings from climate scientists of a new normal on a warmed planet: Hotter air holds more water and allows storms to gather strength more quickly and grow ever larger.