Heavy rain causes flooding on East-West Corridor

HEAVY rain and flash flooding left several homes and roads in the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation under water on August 12.

There were also reports of street flooding in Port of Spain, Valsayn and St Augustine.

In a conversation with the chairman of the San Juan/Laventille corporation alderman Richard Walcott, Newsday was told several roads experienced flooding and a part of one home in El Socorro collapsed.

“We had one fallen tree and one landslide reported,” Walcott told Newsday.

He added that there were 21 reports of flooding: ten  on roads and 11 of flooding at people’s homes.

Walcott said the heavy rain and water caused the kitchen area of one home on Glen Lane Extension, El Socorro to collapse.

He said the corporation was at the time liaising with the family who lived there, and should the structure be unsafe to stay in, the corporation would open one of its shelters to the family for the night.

According to the Disaster Management Unit, flash flooding was reported in Champs Fleurs near the Carib brewery, along the Eastern Main Road, San Juan, near First Citizens Bank and on the Morvant Junction.

Walcott said the area hit hardest was Mt Lambert, which, up to press time, was still under water.

“Water had gotten into people’s premises and the road is still under water,” he said. “We are hoping that the water would subside by tomorrow morning (August 13) so we can start our clean-up process.”

He said the corporation could begin cleaning affected areas by August 13.

Walcott added that he would be notified during the course of the night of August 12 on updates on the situation at Mt Lambert and whether it had worsened or improved.

Businesses in the area also experienced flooding. Management and staff at Food Giant, in the Maritime building near Morvant Junction, said water came into the carpark of the Maritime Building, filling it with water.

One employee said, “It was about two feet of water. Some vehicles were submerged in water as well. A couple people who could not get their cars out in time, some water got into them, but when it cleared they were able to move them."

Walcott told Newsday the corporation was prepared to manage an unpredictable rainy season, but  expressed disappointment at the condition of the waterways and watercourses, after spending a significant amount of money clearing them during the dry season.

“We have to keep our drains and rivers cleared,” he said. “It is unfortunate that, after the corporation spent $1.5 million to clean all the drains and rivers in the region, when there was flooding in the Santa Cruz region about two or three weeks ago, we saw old appliances and people cutting logs and throwing them in the river.

“One of our biggest challenges is people using our drains and rivers to empty their garbage, but we are on the ball. Every time we have a disaster we are on the spot to deal with the situation. All our supplies are fully stocked, we have a contract with a couple supermarkets, so at a moment’s notice, we can get hampers to distribute to residents. We have mattresses, blankets, emergency kits, so at a moment’s notice we have something there already stocked.”

He said, while reports indicated the San Juan/Laventille area might be subject to a significant amount of rain, he was hoping the rain would not be too heavy during the rest of the season.

On August 12 an adverse weather alert was issued for Trinidad and Tobago, from 11.30 am-5 pm. It was discontinued at 3.55 pm. Another adverse weather alert was issued shortly after. This time, from 1 am-5 pm on August 13.