One San Rafael family is now temporarily residing at the San Rafael Community Centre as their home was hit the hardest by flooding in the area in the past two days.
This was confirmed by La Horquetta/Talparo Member of Parliament Maxi Cuffie.
Cuffie, who toured several flood-affected areas yesterday, said he has organised assistance for the family from the Ministry of Social Development and the Office of Disaster Preparedness Management (ODPM).
"We are taking care of them as an emergency case. They are very badly off, they were hit the hardest by the rising flood waters," Cuffie said.
Also, at Greenvale, La Horquetta, and Chin Chin Road, Las Lomas, several residents were stranded at their homes because of the rising waters.
Several parts of Piarco were under six feet in flood waters, including the intersection between Golden Grove Road and the Caroni South Bank Road and the end of the runway at Piarco International Airport.
Scores of motorists were forced to use alternative routes as the roads became impassable with the rising floodwaters.
Cuffie said he began to get calls from as early as 3.30 am yesterday of the rising flood waters and threats to homes. He said he then decided to tour the affected areas so that he could see for himself what the residents were being faced with.
It is believed that major watercourses were not cleared of all debris, hence the cause for the flooding woes experienced in the rural eastern communities.
However, Cuffie said that he will be closely monitoring the promised remedial works to be carried out by the Ministry of Works and the respective regional corporations.
"In the case of Greenvale, we identified the problem there as the floodgate which has not been operating properly and really should have been removed," Cuffie said.
"My immediate concern, however, is to bring relief to residents and commencing works to remove all clogs to watercourses," he added.
Cuffie was accompanied by the chairman and CEO of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), representatives from the Ministry of Works and Transport, the ODPM, the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation (CTTRC) and the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation.
Brazil resident, only identified as Kazim, said he is upset with the relevant authorities over the flooding woes.
"Not enough work was done to have the drains and rivers cleared. Them people does only wait for thing to happen then to start to clean but that shouldn't be. Everybody know the rains coming will prepare for it, don't wait for we to be flood out then to look to run to our help. Fix the problems before," Kazim said.
Another resident at Piarco, Sharmaine Persadie, described the situation as terrible and frustrating. "it frustrating because no one could get their things done because of the flood; they are marooned. I real sorry for the people whose homes are flooded out because that is a different level of frustration."
The T&T Guardian understands that the flooding in Greenvale worsened and that several homes were now under water. However, president of the Greenvale Park Community Organisation, Kirleen Boodoosingh, said pumps were being brought into the area to pump out the water from the community.
"The area is almost inaccessible but there are teams working to have the water pumped out. The residents are hoping that later on tonight or tomorrow morning (Saturday morning) the water levels would be at its lowest due to the efforts being undertaken," Boodoosingh said.
Chairman of the corporation, Henry Awong, identified five major flooding areas in his region–Welcome; Las Lomas; Cunupia; Chin Chin Road; and Brazil, in San Rafael.
Awong said the Disaster Management Unit was presently finishing mopping-up operations at five homes in the Chin Chin area.
He said 15 mattresses and several hampers were also given out to those in need.
"The corporation has been carrying out clearing and cleaning of water courses, we are also working along with the Drainage Division of the Ministry of Works to have major water courses cleaned," Awong said.
He added that work is ongoing on the Caparo River. "However, we await work to start on the other major water courses like the Honda River, Guaracara River, Diana River and the Claxton Bay River."
Met Office advisory
Yesterday at 2.32 pm, the T&T Met Office updated its riverine flood alert for Trinidad.
It said that over the last 18 hours, most of the recent rainfall activity was associated with an Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). "As opposed to street and flash flooding, riverine flooding is more prolong and widespread."
Reports from the Water Resources Agency said water levels in the nation's major rivers are approaching threshold levels as a result of expected run-off from the current rainfall event.
Although water levels in the primary Caroni River remain contained at this time, it is nevertheless threateningly high.
Meteorological forecasts and data obtained from mumerical weather prediction models indicated that further rainfall activity is expected over the next 12 to 18 hours with rainfall accumulation anticipated to be between 20 and 40 millimetres.
Citizens in general, and those residing in the Caroni River Basin in particular, are asked to be on the alert for rising river levels and possible overspill.