Even as flood waters started to rise in parts of Penal and Barrackpore, swine herder Nathaniel Mungal was desperate to find a secure place for over 70 piglets.
At five weeks old, the piglets scampered along the sides of their pens at Monkey Town, Barrackpore, while a bare-backed Mungal, with cigarette in his mouth, tried to open up the pens.
"If the water comes in I want them to find a place to run because last time dozens of them drowned," Mungal said.
With black clouds hovering overhead, Mungal said he was worried that if his farm became inundated with floods he will be unable to cope for the Christmas season.
"The last time I got flooded I never received one red cent. They came and took reports but I got nothing to help me start back my business," Mungal added.
He said there was poor drainage behind the pens.
"I have asked that the drains be cleaned on a regular basis but because the rivers are clogged the water backs up around here," he said.
Meanwhile, floods rose along Lowkie Trace and around Penal Rock Road. Resident Selina Mohammed and her husband Maniff stood with tall boots sweeping away water from under their shed. There was also flooding along parts of Penal Rock Road, near Scott’s Road and Moruga.
Penal/Debe Regional Corporation chairman Dr Allen Sammy said the Disaster Management Unit was on standby to lend assistance to affected residents.
Councillor Shanti Boodram said Clarke Road, Aquart Village and Lachoos Road also experienced flooding.
"The Ministry of Works failed to clear the water courses this year and this is why we have frequent floods. Also, illegal back-filling has exacerbated the problem. When people don't come through the Corporation to get clearance, we end up with a situation where the whole community floods," Boodram said.
Meanwhile, several parts of East and Central Trinidad also experienced flooding. Madras Road was impassable along with several areas in Caroni, Piarco, San Raphael and St Helena. Parts of Sangre Grande are also under water with several roads impassable.
T&T remains on orange alert with a riverine flood warning in effect, especially with the high tide and continuing rainfall.
The T&T Guardian will bring you further flood updates later on.