Al-Rawi: Clean-up teams out and about – Hundreds affected by Sando flooding

RURAL Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi confirmed that clean-up crews, including workers from Cepep, were out and about on Sunday helping some of the people badly affected by the major flooding on Saturday in parts of San Fernando.

The floods, described by some as "historic," came after several hours of heavy rainfall. This caused the Cipero River to overflow its banks and among the places affected was Naparima Bowl whose auditorium was flooded out.

Al-Rawi said communities in four of the nine electoral districts were affected by the flash flood namely in Les Efforts East/Cipero, Les Efforts West/La Romaine, Springvale/Paradise and Pleasantville.

Al Rawi held a news conference Sunday at his San Fernando West office in which he said teams were out since Saturday night to assist those affected.

The response teams include 50 municipal police officers and workers from the San Fernando City Corporation, the Disaster Management Unit (DMU), Cepep and the ministries of works, public utilities and social development. A part of Skinner Park was converted into a command centre.

San Fernando mayor Junia Regrello spoke of water cascading down from the northern and southern sides of the San Fernando Hill and accumulating in the flat areas which were quickly flooded.

Regrello said the situation could have been worse had the corporation not engaged in a clean-up exercises and collection of bulk waste several weeks ago. He appealed to residents and stakeholders to take responsibility for their communities, pointing to a situation on Padmore Street where a discarded tank blocked the watercourse, causing several houses in that area to be flooded out.

Both the minister and mayor toured some of the affected areas on Sunday and met with some of the affected residents.

Rafina Ralph who has lived on the outskirts of Green Acres for 35 years said the breaching of the Cipero River was not uncommon, but that this was the first time water reached the levels it did on Saturday evening. Flooding at her home caused damage to her fridge and freezer while other furniture and clothes were soaked.

Ralph said that as the water entered her home, she began to pray, “Because I cannot swim. I did not want to drown in my house.” Flood waters began receding at 8 pm.

Al-Rawi said while sanitisation was taking place in the aftermath of the run-off, representatives of Social Development were liaising with affected residents to assess losses.

While businesses, houses and even vehicles were flooded out in several areas, no injuries or loss of lives were reported

Asked about no prior warnings from the Met Office, Al-Rawi said localised rainfall intensity which also occurred recently in Maraval and Arouca/Maloney, is a new weather pattern that was largely unpredictable.