One day shy of the anniversary of the devastating 2012 floods in Diego Martin, flash floods brought on by torrential rains caused some nervous moments for residents yesterday. However, the floodwaters quickly subsided and no major damage was reported.An official from the Office of Disaster and Preparedness Management (ODPM) told the Sunday Guardian yesterday's flooding was limited to the Crystal Stream and Chuma Monka areas.
"The episode, caused by concentrated rainfall in certain areas, lasted about half an hour. The areas which saw flooding also saw the water subsiding very quickly, suggesting that the ground has not reached saturation point," the source said.Asked what would happen if the rainfall continued into the night, the source said it is expected that the water would again subside quickly.
The Met Office said the heavy rains were the result of an Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) "enhanced by a favourable upper level environment." The weather was expected to improve as the night progressed, but said "noting the amount of rainfall that has occurred, and the forecast for the continuation of this rainfall activity, rivers of moderate carrying capacity can become overwhelmed."Citizens are advised to be vigilant and cautious as they conduct their activities and should adopt measures which would preserve life and property."
The ODPM said first responder agencies–TT Fire Service, TT Defence Force and the municipal corporations–had been put on alert following the reports of flooding. The agency advised citizens affected by the inclement weather to contact their Customer Care Centre at 511.