El Carmen, Las Lomas residents relieved flooding not as bad as 2018

Residents of El Carmen, Las Lomas, St Helena and Madras Road were, on Friday, relieved the flooding they have had so far has been nowhere near what they experienced in 2018 after the passage of Tropical Storm Bret.

They continue to keep their eyes on the water levels of the Caroni River and its tributaries despite the Met Office downgrading its riverine flood and adverse weather alert levels from orange to yellow.

When Newsday visited El Carmen Trace No 2 on Friday morning, there was about seven inches of water on the roadway.

Brothers Charlie and Harold Surujdeo said they have lived in El Carmen for 60 years, and flooding has recently become an annual experience.

Charlie said, the area has been flooded three times for the year so far – twice in the last three weeks.

The brothers said nothing can compare to the floods of 2018 which engulfed several areas after the passage of Tropical Storm Bret.

Pointing to windows four feet above the ground, Charlie said, "You see them windows, water went through that."

On Friday, water had started seeping through the ground floor of the family’s home causing Charlie to put his refrigerator, freezer and bed frames onto wooden pallets.

Harold said, "No matter how we ask them to clean the grass in the ravine, they not coming. The floodgates there, but it not working."

Another resident has raised his gate motors four feet above the ground, having learnt from the 2018 disaster. One woman recalled that the 2018 floods was neck high.

At Las Lomas No 2, water had already covered parts of the roadway, but light motor vehicles were still able to pass.

Hours later, around 2 pm, when Newsday returned to the area, sedan cars were turning around as the waters had risen significantly. Vans and SUVs drove through.

Residents of Harkoo Trace South were marooned in their homes.

Narine Bangat was wading through nine-inch deep water, carrying melongene to his neighbour. He returned with a bag of dasheen and guided the Newsday team into his street. There, Parmanan and Gail Maraj were in front inspecting the rising floods.

Their home is about 100 feet from the El Carmen river. They said Friday's flood was "small thing" because their refrigerator floating in water four feet high in 2018.

Parasram said Harkoo Trace floods regularly, "but it goes down quick if it’s low tide, but not spring and high tide."

Following the Las Lomas Road to San Raphael, there were about 20 cars parked on the roadway beside a field, not far from the San Raphael RC Church. Some waited for hours, others took the chance to drive through the flooded Tumpuna Road South. This road connects to the Churchill Roosevelt Highway.

Solomon Estrada said he was parked in San Raphael for three hours. He explained, the alternative routes from San Raphael were through Todds Road, Talparo which exits in Chaguanas; through the Guaico-Tamana Road to Sangre Grande; and the Las Lomas Road to St Helena.

"Sometimes, in the back there, Las Lomas does flood. So is a timing for everything. When the water come down on this side, that side does flood. Las Lomas, Kelly and going down does flood."

Water below the bridge to San Raphael; and from San Raphael to Brazil, Talparo and the Las Lomas communities had water exceeding thirty feet in depth, but it did not overcome the bridge.

Newsday visited Greenvale which was the epicentre of the 2018 disaster. There, residents did not experience any flooding after this recent episode of adverse weather.