By Chantalé Fletcher
AS the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government reports 503 incidents of residential and street flooding in the Caroni area, residents on Friday began to pick up the pieces.
After being recused by rising flood waters from her home, Teematie Samlal, a resident of Harracksingh Trace, Madras Road, said, “We are thankful for God’s small mercies, once there’s life, there’s hope.”
She said the rains on Wednesday that caused massive flooding on Thursday, was almost as bad as the one of 2018.
Samlal said, “We had to be rescued from my home with an excavator, the entire house was flooded as lots of items were lost. We are thankful for God’s small mercies, once there’s life, there’s hope.”
Flooding were reported at St Helena, Kelly Village, Warrenville, Piarco and Caroni which included side streets such as Madras, Constantine, Sheldon Trace, Boysie, Trace, Eccles Trace, and other nearby streets.
Esha Omega, a resident of Madrass Road, St Helena told AZPNews.com that she was marooned in the upstairs of her home. She said flood waters were slowly going down.
She said, “It’s normal for us, when you’ve gone through this all your life, you are prepared in advance. I’ve got a raft and bicycles ready if vehicles are affected.”
Omega believed that everyone should do their part to prevent flooding within the country.
She said, “The rivers and watercourses didn’t dump all that garbage and plastic in itself.”
Rishi Bhagwandass, a resident of Constantine Road said, “There weren’t any damages to our home, as we raised everything.”
He said Friday morning saw cleanup operations.
Bhagwandass said, “This year in particular was bad as this was the second time for the month, and it was constantly causing damage to our home.”
He indicated one solution to prevent the magnitude of flooding was, routine cleaning and dredging of the Caroni River together with its secondary water courses.
Bhagwandass said that neither the MP nor the councillor has yet visited the community as the road remained impassable.
Another resident, who identified himself as Joe described Thursday’s flood waters as horrendous in the 20 years he lived with Eccles Trace. “God is coming, we are in the days as too much disasters are now among mankind.
“My wife and I never thought that we’d live through a pandemic, and now we worry for our children and country as there’s much worse to come. Councillor Richard Rampersad visited us in the community with lunches, sandbags and other things to help us through,” he said.
The Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (TTMS) has downgraded the Riverine Flood Alert to a Yellow Level #4.
On Friday afternoon, TTMS indicated that, “While river levels are steadily decreasing and are expected to continue on this downward trend today, some locations remain under flood waters, particularly in low lying areas. There is a potential for afternoon isolated heavy showers and/or thunderstorms which are not expected to affect water levels in the major rivers, however, can quickly overwhelm smaller water courses and further exacerbate inundated areas.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government said there were 503 reports of residential and street flooding around St. Helena, Kelly Village, Warrenville, Piarco, Caroni which included side streets such as Madras, Constantine, Sheldone Trace, Boysie, Trace, Eccles Trace, and other streets within the vicinity.
Another resident, who identified himself as Joe described Thursday’s flood waters as horrendous, in the 20 years he lived with Eccles Trace. “God is coming, we are in the days as too much disasters are now among mankind.
“My wife and I never thought that we’d live through a pandemic, and now we worry for our children and country as there’s much worse to come. Councillor Richard Rampersad visited us in the community with lunches, sandbags and other things to help us through.”
The Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (TTMS) has downgraded the Riverine Flood Alert to a Yellow Level #4.
On Friday afternoon, TTMS indicated that, “While river levels are steadily decreasing and are expected to continue on this downward trend today, some locations remain under flood waters, particularly in low lying areas. There is a potential for afternoon isolated heavy showers and/or thunderstorms which are not expected to affect water levels in the major rivers, however, can quickly overwhelm smaller water courses and further exacerbate inundated areas.”
