Heavy rain devastates rural communities

RURAL communities – coastal and inland – became isolated from the rest of the country on Saturday when heavy rain caused an almost unprecedented number of reported landslides and floods reported by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM).

Overnight and morning showers inundated regions from Mayaro to Debe, forcing thousands to remain indoors, inundated by impassable levels of water, the debris from the dozens of reported landslides and other obstacles.

Others saw their homes damaged by the flooding and had to seek shelter.

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management said at least ten people took shelter at the Plum Mitan Community Centre, in the Biche Administrative District.

At just after 3 pm on Saturday, the Meteorological Service issued a riverine flood alert – yellow, taking effect until Monday, unless revised.

It said accumulated rainfall has caused major river levels across Trinidad to be near or above 80 per cent, and smaller watercourses at "critical levels."

At around 2 pm, the Caparo and Caroni River (at El Carmen), were reportedly at 98 and 95 per cent capacity, respectively, while the Caroni River (at Bamboo No 3) and North Oropouche were both at 80 per cent capacity, leaving many communities vulnerable to serious flooding.

Periods of rainfall, the TTMS said, will likely continue over the next 24-36 hours, which will result in the river levels rising higher.

"As a result, there is now a moderate risk to public safety (and) livelihood."

The ODPM also issued a statement on Saturday afternoon, highlighting the dozens of areas where landslides and floods have been reported.

The South Central Region alone accounted for over half reported incidents of flooding across the country, with parts of Couva, Freeport, Caparo, Claxton Bay, Guaracara Road, California and Point Lisas among the worst affected.

There were also landslides recorded in Brasso, Preysal, Gran Couva, Guaracara-Tabaquite Road and Flanagin Town.

Meanwhile, residential flooding in the South West Region has been reported in Penal, La Romain, Debe and Barrackpore. There was one reported landslide in Penal, at Railway Road, San Francique.

In the North West Region, there were landslides in Malick and Lady Young Road, the latter of which was closed to traffic by the Ministry of Transport on Saturday.

Abattoir Road,  a short distance from City Gate, Port of Spain, has once again experienced near-impassable flooding.

Major flooding in the North Central Region was reported in Tacarigua, Arouca, Maracas, St Joseph and Valsayn, with one landslide also reported in Maracas, St Joseph.

The East and Tobago reported one flood and landslide respectively, in Biche and Speyside.

The ODPM said its Disaster Management Unit was responding to reports of land movement in a number of areas.

Sudhir Sagramsingh, councillor for Maracas Bay, Santa Cruz and La Fillette, said the villages under his jurisdiction experienced them all, although the flooding had mostly subsided when he spoke with Newsday.

"There was a total blockage on the North Coast Road at some point, but we dispatched backhoes and that has since been cleared," Sagramsingh said, adding that a tree-cutting unit also cleared a number of trees felled by the strong winds and heavy rain.

He said while residents have reported flooded yards, so far none have reported indoor damage.

"There was one incident where an embankment was seriously compromised and it undermining a home," Sagramsingh said. "The thing is, it's held up for now. I can speak for myself. There are councillors who experience problems unique to their region."

For example, he said the councillor for and residents of El Socorro nearby face frequent flooding.

"The challenges I face on my side is really the landslides, falling trees and roads being compromised."

As in many other areas across the country, residents often face interruptions to their water supply, provided by surface water treatment plants, which typically face operational issues after heavy rain and floods.

He said emergency response personnel in various communities covered by the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation were on standby to respond to emergencies.

"In the event a family has to be evacuated from a home...we have persons on standby to activate the shelters," he said.

"We're hoping for the best but we're preparing ourselves for any eventuality."

Meanwhile, Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes, who spoke at length on Wednesday about infrastructural issues affecting many areas in her constituency, told Newsday the situation had deteriorated.

"Everything I highlighted (at the opposition's media conference) on Wednesday got that much worse.

"Today, in addition to everything else, we have the Gran Couva Road collapsing. So that is impassible.

"I want to say that when we highlight these issues, it is not from a place of finding a villain. It is a question of ensuring that the safety of people in our day-to-day activities is maintained."

Day-to-day maintenance, she said, is a key part of the government's duties.

"It is not a by-the-way. While we understand climate change and all these things, the fact is that there has been infrastructural neglect and we are facing the consequences of such."

In Tobago, the island's Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and its supporting units were kept busy clearing roads, mostly on the eastern part.

Heavy rains brought down landslides on the Bloody Bay Road and parts of Delaford and Speyside.

TEMA director Allan Stewart said the situation was speedily addressed.

“We had a couple of challenging ones (landslides) which have resulted in total blockage on the Bloody Bay Road,” he told Newsday. “There was also a landslide that brought down a tree and blocked off the entire road so the teams were required to pull their resources together.”

Stewart said there was also a landslide between Speyside and Delaford, which partially blocked the road. Another landslide also affected a residential property at Big Hole, Goodwood.