Oropouche river wreaks havoc

POOR drainage is being blamed for widespread flooding in Debe on Tuesday that cost residents thousands of dollars in damage.

When Newsday visited the home of 73-year-old Gully Gokool this morning relatives were trying to piece together their matriarch’s belongings which were swept away when the Oropouche River burst its bank.

Gokool, who is partially blind, lives on the ground floor of the house and most of her clothes, appliances and groceries were destroyed by the flood.

She had to be carried out of her flooded bedroom by her son Krishna Gokool when flood waters began soaking the mattress on her bed.

Krishna said although his mother is not well, she is very strong willed and she had insisted in staying in her room until they were forced to evacuate her.

As Krishna and his brother, Kenneth, cleaned up mud and silt and tried to salvage what they could, Gokool was back in her room again. Krishna said she had demanded to be brought from her daughter’s home nearby to ‘be around’ when they were cleaning up.

The family’s living room set, clothes and murtis were all spread across their front yard-still soaked from flood water.

The Debe Hindu School was also affected with water reaching up to three feet high on the compound.

The Penal/Debe Regional Corporation sent in clean-up crews yesterday to power-wash and sanitise the school.