By Chantalé Fletcher and Darius Phillip
THE Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (TTMS) has issued a Riverine Flood Orange Alert- 2 Orange Level.
It issued the alert from 2pm on Wednesday to 6pm on Thursday.
A yellow level 2 alert warning is also in effect until 6pm Wednesday.
TTMS stated that, “River levels are critical along the Caroni River with lower banks at spilling level. There continue to be reports of smaller water courses being filled with flooding in low lying areas. Other major rivers are contained at this time and are being closely monitored.”
There were reports that the SS Erin Road Debe and the Diego Martin rivers were currently at threshold.
Social media was replete with water flowing over roads, making some impassible.
Areas affected by flash flooding included Guayaguayare, Mayaro in the vicinity of BPTT, Sum Sum Hill, Claxton Bay, Guapo Main Road, Point Fortin, Barrackpore, Morvant, Cunupia, Williamsville, Piarco, La Fillette, Blanchisseuse, Old Road, Arima, Arouca and Tunapuna.
The Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government stated that there were reports of street flooding along the Chaguanas Main Road.
There were reports that Penal Rock Road was impassable around 2pm on Wednesday as commuters had to use Goodman Trace as an alternative route.
Street flooding was reported along Clarke Road, SS Erin Road in vicinity of Debe Gas Station and Pawan Wholesale, Lallbeharry Trace, Papourie Road in vicinity of Barrackpore Police Station.
Persons who lived in hilly are asked to remain vigilant of landslips, as the land was currently saturated from rainfall over the past few days and the water table remains high, the Met office stated.
In addition, members of the public that live in flood prone areas are advised to contact their Municipal Corporation early, to access sandbags and mitigate the effects of flooding.
The South-western Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) has cancelled all Covid-19 appointments scheduled for Wednesday to flood waters on the roadways in Penal.
On a Facebook post, SWRHA announced, “The Penal PowerGen Mass Vaccination site, the centre will be closed today, Wednesday August 18, 2021.
Persons with scheduled appointments, will be rescheduled/accommodated on Thursday August 19th.”
In addition, the Rochard Douglas Health, Penal Rock Road, Palo Seco, Erin and Lengua Health Centres have closed early following increase flood waters.
Members of the public are asked to contact SWRHA Customer Care Centre at 877-9742 for service assistance.
On the Eastern part of the country, roads in Coalmine and Sangre Grande were impassable following the inclement weather.
Video footage uploaded by Anna Madoo on Facebook showed the streets submerged by flood waters along the as a vehicle was in stand still.
Photos and video taken from the Sangre Grande Community group also showed areas such as 3/4 MM Cunapo Southern Main Road, Coalmine, Good Hope Street, Sangre Grande, and Boodoo Highway, North Oropouche submerged in flood waters.
The Sangre Grande Regional Corporation at 12.46 pm announced a yellow level riverine flood alert and advised members of the public to monitor weather conditions and river levels before venturing out.
