Chairman of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation Patricia Mejias says it will take about a week and a half to ascertain the full extent and cost of the damage caused by the flooding along the East-West Corridor on “Manic Monday.” She also said man-made factors contributed significantly to the flooding.

Mejias, Local Government Minister Hazel Manning, Permanent Secretary Cheryl Blackman and engineers from the corporation went out on the field yesterday. “Flooding is an act of God,” Mejias said. “I couldn’t believe the amount of water...It happened in about 40 to 45 minutes. The whole of the Eastern Main Road was flooded out, including all the businesses...There was a lot of damage.” Meanwhile, mopping up operations are in full swing. “We have begun washing and cleaning some peoples’ homes and clearing the streets...Cepep is assisting and the field workers are doing assessment,” Mejias said.

Most affected areas

She said Watts, Belle Smythe Streets and Jogie Trace in Curepe were completely flooded. At St Augustine, Dookiesingh Street, Freeman Road and River Road were completely covered in slush and debris. “The whole of Spring Village was in a bad way...The cars had to be towed away,” Mejias said. “Two vehicles blew up and burned to nothing in a St Augustine car park. Trees fell into the river by Evans Street, Curepe. A house on Sesame Street was badly damaged. Bridges and retaining walls fell down,” Mejias said. Yesterday, the waters had abated but the slush remained. Spring Village bore testimony to nature’s fury. “Mc Inroy Street was completely flooded out,” she said.

“Blackman Ravine goes straight into Spring Village. It overflowed its banks. It spilled over those areas.” Mejias said she was noticing a trend caused by dumping of discarded material. “I think if rain falls again it would happen, because of activities like the cutting of the hill,” she said. “The burgesses are dumping their garbage in the watercourses. Most of the problems are man-made.”
On June 8, Councillor Khadijah Ameen-Rostant and a number of residents had appealed to the authorities to dredge Blackman Ravine before the rains came.

More to come

Meteorologist Ezekiel Sampson says the bout of convective rainfall which unleashed flooding along the East-West Corridor could repeat itself before the end of the week. “We can expect some thundershowers, particularly over the course of the next few days, especially Thursday and Friday,” he said. He explained the sudden thundershower was the result of a “lax wind field in the easterly trade winds”. He described the downpour as convective rainfall.
“Convective type rainfall will wake you up...The rain will put you to sleep,” he said.

Need help?

The Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation has asked that citizens who have been affected by flooding and need assistance to call the corporation at 645-8772, 633-6750, 662-2261, 662-4139 or 662-1422.