La Horquetta residents want action: Fed up of flooding

Residents of La Horquetta say they are tired and fed up of complaining about clogged drains and their homes being flooded after heavy rain. Their frustration reached a peak on Sunday afternoon after several houses were flooded.

When Newsday went to Tecoma Boulevard, people were trying to sweep out large amounts of water from their homes after only a few hours of heavy rain.

Some residents were bursting holes on the sides and front of their homes in an attempt to get the water to run off quicker.

Others were removing soaked and damaged clothes, furniture and appliances from their living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms.

One resident told Newsday they are accustomed to flooding, but what happened on Sunday was the worst they have seen in a long time.

"Everything wet,” he said. “All the children’s school books wet, clothes and everything wet. I never get flood out so, and they (area representatives) only coming around after the damage is done."

Other residents were busy power washing dirt settled inside their houses and around their yards.

Meanwhile a team from the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation arrived with an excavator and started clearing the drains and assisting residents with their clean-up efforts.

PNM and UNC candidates for the La Horquetta area, Foster Cumming and Jearlean John were present to support the residents.

A few streets away, residents of Ladybird Avenue were also trying to save their homes and other valuables.

Marlon Cox, whose house was flooded, was helping other residents to clear the drains. When Newsday arrived, the water was over four feet high.

Cox said the residents have complained and asked for the drains to be cleared often, and for two years their cries have fallen on deaf ears. He said he will express his displeasure on August 10 – election day.

"I waiting till election for them. Look how long we asking for them to make sure the drains clean when the rainy season was coming. This rubbish wash down on this street from other streets. Look what I doing now. I using my hands to clean the drains and I not getting paid for it."

He then suddenly stopped and licked his finger which got a small wound from a sharp object among the debris.

As he was speaking Newsday, an argument erupted between PNM and UNC supporters about which administration is responsible for the flooding in the area.

At the Greenvale Housing Development, just minutes away, residents started panicking after drains started overflowing.

Joan Gray said as the water levels rose, memories of the catastrophic 2018 flooding in the area overcame her.

"I started to cry and my mother told me to relax. I can't go through this again. It was horrible the first time.

“By the time I turned from the washing machine to the stove, the water started to rise and the sand bags I put at the back door were swimming in the water.

"I done call home and tell them I need to get somewhere to go. People were taking their animals and moving their cars. People were just leaving their homes and heading to the muster point."

Newsday was told that only one house was affected by mild flooding there. The house was cleaned.

Another resident told Newsday, "I done panic long time. I pass that stage. My focus was the children."

One man tied an inflatable boat to the top of his car and returned inside.

The Housing Development Corporation (HDC), in a release, called on

the Greenvale residents not to panic.

The HDC said, "The mitigation systems which have been installed in your community are functioning as they should.

“The berm is functioning as it should and continues to prevent water from surrounding water courses from entering the Greenvale Park community. The pumps are on and functioning and continue to displace the excess water away from the ponds.”

The HDC said water which started accumulating on some streets, was receding quickly and posed no threat to life or property.

An emergency response team was talking to residents and monitoring the situation.

By 3 pm, the water had receded and residents returned to their homes.