(Updated) Rain traps residents, drivers in south Trinidad

Overnight rain on Sunday which continued into Monday left several roads impassable and people marooned in their homes in Gasparillo and other parts of south Trinidad.

At Charles Street North, workers from the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation were filling sandbags from its stockpile. By 2 pm, the crew, which included two women, had distributed about 30 bags free of charge to residents to help mitigate the effects of flooding.

At Gopaul Avenue, water rose several feet and worried residents said they hoped the rain would stop.

One resident, who identified himself only as Allan, said the flooding worsened about a year ago after another resident built a wall that blocked a main watercourse.

"As soon as a little rainfall, this happens," he said.

The rains also flooded several parts of Bonne Adventure Road, including an area near Phekoo Drive. The bridge near Boozers Bar at Light Bourne Junction, in Gasparillo, was submerged. Drivers parked on both sides of the road, waiting for the water to subside. A few trucks and van drivers took the risk of driving through the murky waters.

Nishard Singh, who lives in the neighbouring community of Poonah, said it was the first time in a while that the water had risen so high.

"Water from as far as Mayo and Whiteland come in the river. Chances are if here is flooded, all Reform Village and Williamsville are flooded too," Singh said. "When I left home this morning, the rain wasn't falling. Now we have to wait for the water to go down to pass."

There were also reports of flash flooding at Hermitage Road in Macaulay and Cedar Hill Road in Claxton Bay.

But by midday, the water subsided.

There were also flash floods at Papourie Road near Cottage Road and Lawrence Avenue in Lower Barrackpore. Parts of Lallbeharry Trace in Debe became impassable.

Dr Allan Sammy, chairman of the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC), said only low-lying areas, including Penal Rock Road and parts of Barrackpore, were affected.

"This is normal in the sense that it is not unusual for us to see this volume of water. Our problem happens when there is loss of household items and properties, crops and animal lives," Sammy told Newsday. "Low vehicles could not go through the floods, but pickups were able to pass. It was not the floods that went through people’s home."

Like many residents in the area, Sammy said the corporation was monitoring the weather, hoping for the rain to stop.

"Depending on how long the water stays on the surface, some people would lose crops. The South Oropouche River is full, so it is likely that later this evening (Monday) that the Woodland area could be flooded," Sammy said.

On Monday afternoon, chairman of the Princes Town Regional Corporation Gowrie Roopnarine urged the public not to use Sisters Road in the Hardbargain area. A post on his Facebook page said floodwaters severely affected several homes, and many residents could not enter or leave.

The corporation’s disaster management unit, he said, visited several areas, but in some cases, owing to the high water level, the unit had to wait until the water subsided to do assessments, Roopnarine said.

On Monday at 1.43 pm, a Facebook post by the South-West Regional Health Authority said several health centres were closed early for the day because of the rising flood waters.

The centres were those at Debe, Moruga, Rochard Douglas, Williamsville, Lengua, Todd’s Road, Flanagin and Tabaquite. Regular services are expected to resume on Tuesday.