RADHICA DE SILVA
Paralysed by a debilitating stroke, pensioner Shah Mohammed slept on a chair for three days waiting for help as floodwaters continued to covered the inner Mafeking region on Wednesday.
He and his wife Taslima were among hundreds stranded in floodwaters which rose as high as 12 feet based on estimates from the T&T Regiment.
Soldiers from the First Engineer Battalion shuttled stranded residents across the flood zones while the Anjuman Sunnat al Muslimeen (ASJA) distributed food and drinking water to over 800 people.
A despondent Mohammed was still sitting on the chair when the Guardian Media team visited him at his Logwood Trace home yesterday. His neighbours assisted in stacking soiled furniture and appliances outside while they waited for help to mop up the water from Mohammed’s home.
Unable to speak, Mohammed gestured, muttering, “Flood.”
His relative Shairoon Mohammed said the elderly couple had lost everything.
“We need to get mattresses, linens, bedsheets, towels, because everything got soaked in water - bed and couch, tables and chest of drawers, all their clothing. Everything is soaked,” she said.
At Crysosthom Trace, Dave Saijan kayaked to get out of his home.
He said, “We have six feet of water still. The Muslims came out to drop off food so I am using the kayak to carry out food for my partner and others. They are seeing about the chicken pens. The water is going down now but yesterday it was over seven or eight feet.”
Imam Adhimool Rahim, of the Mafeking ASJA Mosque, distributed food to residents.
“For the past two days we have been on the ground assisted by ASJA, and I want to compliment the ASJA and all members and trustees,” he said.
Lower down the Naparima/Mayaro Road, Kevin Francois and his wife Donna were busy sweeping water from inside their bedroom.
Around their home was covered with slush.
Francois said the floods were terrible this year, adding all that they owned had been destroyed.
His sister-in-law Laurel Licorish said the floods came up fast on Sunday night.
“I was able to move out some of my stuff, so I did not lose as much as my sister. She just did not have the time to move stuff out,” Licorish said.
Other residents power washed their homes, piling damaged appliances and furniture outside at the roadside.
Scores of people yesterday lined the road waiting on relief teams to distribute food and water.
Dwight Williams said it was the first time that the community had seen such high flood water.
Another resident, Stacey Dinanath, said she was unable to leave her home for four days.
“Today is the first day I was able to come out. It was really difficult for us,” she said.
Anyone wanting to assist Mayaro residents with food relief can contact the office of the Member of Parliament at 376-7433.