Senior Reporter
kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt
After days of being confined indoors, some elderly residents of Debe were finally able to step into their yards as floodwaters began to recede in parts of south Trinidad affected by last week’s severe weather.
Despite the recent clearing of a major waterway in the community, Seuradge Trace residents still experienced approximately five feet of floodwater rushing through their street and into their yards.
Now that the waters had gone down, Satie Beepath was able to pull on her garden boots and sweep out her back shed.
Her family, having endured decades of flooding, rebuilt their home several feet above road level. Still, when heavy rain pounded the area last Wednesday, the water rose so high that Beepath and her family were forced to remain inside. Fortunately, she had already stocked up on groceries.
“As they are saying, the river cannot carry the water, so I believe they have to make some other solution for where the water will go because if the river cannot carry the water, then there is a problem; we will always get this flood. It does not matter what they do,” Beepath said.
Beepath recalled the 2017 floods when parts of Debe remained underwater for days. She believes it is only a matter of time before similar conditions return if no long-term solutions are put in place.
Nearby resident Delia Heeralal also endured floodwaters rising to knee height—a pattern she said had repeated itself for the past decade.
Although she moved into a new house next door to escape the frequent flooding, her old home is still used by her son as a garage and storeroom. As waters receded, he was left to assess whether the submerged vehicle engines and parts were still usable.
Further south in Woodland, fishermen operating near Sudama Teerath had to wrestle against raging currents in the New Cut Channel to secure their boats. By the weekend, the river level had started returning to normal. Although it remained high and fast-flowing, a few vessels managed to depart for the Gulf of Paria.
Fisherman Narendra Sankar expects the river to settle completely by tomorrow.
However, he highlighted the overgrowth of mangroves in the channel, which blocks the path of vessels and traps debris. He said this contributes to the river overflowing and flooding surrounding communities.
They called on the EMA to step in and assist with that.
Although residents living along the riverbank avoided serious damage, many were still trapped inside after the river breached its banks. In some adjoining streets, floodwaters drained into the lagoon.
Fishermen are now calling for urgent repairs to the riverbank, which has been compromised in several areas. With floodwaters originating as far as Moruga, they fear worsening conditions if further adverse weather hits.
