Flooding concerns ease in Penal/Debe

WITH the discontinuation of the adverse weather alert on June 13, chairman of the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) Gowtam Maharaj is optimistic, as floodwaters were receding and conditions improving.

“Today, the rivers were high, but we had a low tide around 11 am. The rain eased up a little bit. We are optimistic that we will make it through. We should be good if all parametres stay as is. That is our projection, ” Maharaj told Newsday.

“The streets are cleared, but there had been residential flooding yesterday.”

Some of the affected areas include low-lying areas at Chester Street and Seuradge Trace, both in Debe, as well as Clark Road and Lachoos Road in Penal.

Maharaj added that at Golconda Settlement, strong winds blew the roof off a house.

“We are making arrangements and are working in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Development to see if we could find a temporary shelter for the family until the house can be restored.”

The chairman said he was working alongside the corporation’s disaster management unit, and they had distributed food, hampers, mattresses, and sandbags to affected residents.

Meanwhile, in Woodland, fishermen were seen tending to their nets near the Sudama Teerath site close to the swollen South Oropuche River.

There were minor accumulations of water along the roadways, and no severe flooding was reported.

Mayor of the Siparia Borough Corporation, Doodnath Mayhroo, confirmed: “We have not had any severe flooding in this region. Our watercourses are filled and on the brink of bursting their banks. We do not have people affected. If the rain continues, we might be in trouble.”

The Met Office discontinued an adverse weather alert, downgrading it to green earlier in the day at 10.20 am.

The threat of heavy showers and thunderstorm activity had significantly decreased over Trinidad and Tobago, but some offshore activity was still ongoing.

The update said some major rivers were still at high levels but these levels are slowly declining.