The area by the Triangle at Chase Village is underwater. Video: AZP News/Azlan Mohammed
By Sue-Ann Wayow
SEVERAL parts of Trinidad are reeling from flood waters on Wednesday morning. Sangre Grande is one of the area most affected along with St Helena, Penal and Debe.
A riverine yellow alert is also in effect until Friday at 4 pm.
The Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (TTMS) issued the alert at 7.40 am on Wednesday.
TTMS stated, “After significant rainfall overnight, major river levels across Trinidad are currently near 80-85% and rising. Smaller watercourses are currently overwhelmed in a few areas. Weather conditions are currently settling, however, occasional periods of heavy rainfall can be expected over the next 36 hours, particularly Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.
“This additional rainfall can continue to elevate the river levels, so there remains a moderate risk to public safety, livelihood and property. Run-off will be slow at high tide times which are approximately 4.15pm for today (Wednesday 9th November 2022) and 5.15 am & 4:45pm tomorrow (Thursday 10th November 2022).”
A flood crisis
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government reported three landslides and one flooding in Sangre Grande as at 6.30 pm.
Chairman of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation (SGRC) Anil Juteram was on the field assisting on Wednesday morning.
Member of Parliament for Cumuto/Manzanilla Dr Rai Ragbir told AZP News that he received about 12 reports of flooding in the areas of Coalmine, North Oropouche, Victoria Boulevard, Little Caura, Guaico/Tamana and Cunaripo.
He said those were large areas and there would be several areas within those flooded out.
Dr Ragbir said at around 2 am, a tree fell in the roadway pulling down electricity lines and the SGRC, the Disaster Management Unit and a team from the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) assisted with clearing the roadway.
Flooding in Caparo. See video by Sue-Ann Wayow below:
All personnel from various units including the MP’s office are currently on the ground assisting in whichever way they could, he said.
Dr Ragbir said, “It is very unfortunate that people had to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to find water in their kitchens and houses and sad to say some of them this is not the first time. To have to go through this on a regular basis it is really sad.”
More saddening for him was the loss of produce and seedlings planted by farmers.
A road in Bon Air:
His constituency produces a large portion of the local food basket and while prices would increase, the availability of vegetables and other food items would be drastically decreased due to the floods.
“My heart goes out to the farmers who would have lost their little seedlings. This is a crisis. This is not just about prices going up and they are already high, it is about the availability of food,” Dr Ragbir said.
Part of bridge washes away
Chairman of the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo
The Hope Alive Senior Home in Las Lomas, Cunupia currently has water within its premises.
He also said the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service (TTFS) was asked to assist a woman and her son who were marooned at Bank Village, Carapichaima.
In Caparo, some residents were marooned in their homes, as water completely surrounded the buildings.
Awong said the approach to the Carolina Bridge that leads to Carolina village was washed away. He said the bridge was still passable and plans were in place to have a new one constructed.
A team of corporation engineers were doing assessments at the site.
He said, “We are doing what we can, we can are going in areas where we can at this moment. But where we cannot go in, we just have to wait until the water goes down.”
Chairman of the Princes Town Regional Corporation Gowrie Roopnarine told AZP News that while rivers broke their banks on Tuesday night, and there was flash flooding on the roadways, no homes were adversely affected.
Member of Parliament for Mayaro Rushton Paray said for his constituency while water courses were high there were no reports of flooding and the Manzanilla stretch that connects to Sangre Grande was clear.
Landslide in Tobago
And in Tobago, the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) was working to clear a landslide that occurred on Wednesday morning.
The landslide blocked the roadway at Des Vignes Road, Moriah.
TEMA in a Facebook post stated that the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the Division of Quarries and Urban Development (DIQUD) were on site working assiduously to clear the landslide and any debris from the roadway.
Motorists are being asked to exercise patience while the roadway is being cleared.
