Councillor: Belmont flood clean-up almost completed

Belmont East Councillor Nicole Young on Monday said the clean-up operation in Belmont after Sunday’s flash floods was almost complete.

Heavy rains caused raging floods in the community with residents reporting a torrent of water flowing along St Francois Valley Road and Belmont Circular Road.

Pavements and roadside drains were left covered in sludge, while debris were deposited along the roads as the floodwaters receded.

Young said the clean-up operation got underway in the early hours of Monday morning.

“The (Port of Spain City Corporation) trucks and employees were out pretty early, sometime after 3 am. They were able to clean Belmont Circular Road, Belle Eau Road and St Francois Valley Road with the help of the fire services.

"They have to go back tomorrow morning to finish cleaning some of the smaller streets, but the main roads were cleared and the silt was washed away.”

She added, “The silt causes a lot of dust when it dries and that is an issue. That is why I was adamant that they get (the silt) off the road before it is able to dry.”

She said the City Corporation’s Disaster Management Unit also visited the two families whose homes were flooded.

“It isn’t terribly bad but they would have suffered some loss. The disaster management unit did the necessary assessment and help was rendered. A feature of the unit is that they also help with writing letters to the different agencies such as the Ministry of Social Development so people can access grants faster because of the urgency.”

Young was unable to quantify the cost of damage but said it included furniture, electronics and appliances.

“One of the homes, they lost furniture and even their television. The water lifted the furniture and the television fell off the table as a result.”

She said the important thing was that the flood, luckily, did not result in any loss of life.

“There is an elderly bed-ridden gentleman who was hospitalised the day before the floods. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise because had he been home he may have drowned in there. But he is okay and he too is getting assistance to recover some of his appliances and furniture.”