- Joined
- Jun 9, 2008
- Messages
- 5,921
GETTING WATER: Flood victim Clyde Fernandez fetches water yesterday from a nearby river to wash down slush from his yard in the aftermath of Saturday's flooding in Diego Martin. -Photo: MICHEAL BRUCE
More than 15,000 people were affected and millions of dollars in damage caused by the weekend's torrential rains in East and West Trinidad, officials said yesterday.
Chairman of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation Patricia Mejias told the Express it was the worst flooding she had seen and believed that the country was not prepared for a hurricane.
"This was just a mild thing, what if we get a hurricane? We have to be prepared and I don't think we are really ready for a disaster in this country," she said.
"I am praying every day, after what I saw yesterday (Saturday) and today (Sunday) I am praying that it don't happen, we are not ready for that," Mejias continued.
She said more than 15,000 people in the Eastern part of the country were affected by flooding because all rivers in the Eastern corridor broke their banks, breaking bridges and causing areas that were never flooded before to come under water.
"This is the first time we have ever seen that kind of flooding, places that never flood before have water. We're out on the field and we are seeing a lot of damages. I'm just so confused now because it's so much," said an overwhelmed Mejias.
She said Millennium Park, Trinicity, for the first time was flooded, causing residents there to lose millions as their houses and everything in them were submerged with water.
"It's really, really bad," said Mejias as she pointed to areas that were flooded such as Bon Air Gardens, Maloney, La Horquetta, St Helena, Carapo, Tunapuna, Trincity, St Augustine North and South.
She called on residents who fall under the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation to call and let the corporation know what sort of help they needed in the aftermath of the floods.
"Some people have lost practically everything. One woman in St Clair Gardens has mud all on her bed, another woman lost her car and a young man in Bon Air Gardens also lost his car," said Mejias.
"In Bon Air, people saw lightning pierce a hole in the ground. It was something else," added Mejias.
Paul Guerra, councillor for La Florissante/Cleaver and head of the disaster unit, said on the Eastern Main Road there were a number of houses flooded as well as two mosques and a church in Tacarigua that were badly hit.
He said the effects could have been even of more disastrous proportions if the Works Ministry did not dredge the Caroni River.
Guerrea said most of the staff from the corporation were called out and were working together with the Office of Disaster and Preparedness Management (ODPM) to help the people clear water and debris from their homes.
"I haven't slept yet, I have been out there since yesterday and we are trying our best to help the thousands affected," he said.
Mejias warned flood victims to empty all utensils and ensure there was nothing lying around for mosquitoes to breed.
She said the corporation was working as" quickly" as it could to clear the debris as well as all the soaked carpets and furniture that people were forced to dump.
She lamented that the corporation did not have enough resources to deal with the thousands of flood victims.
"We are lacking equipment and manpower. Right now the manpower cannot do the kind of work that is happening now," said Mejias.
Asked what might have caused the flooding, Mejias said: "The cutting of the hills, development, people dumping their rubbish in the rivers and not only that...nature. This is something that I have never seen."
She said not only have houses been flooded, a number of roofs were also blown away.
Yesterday, the North Coast Road was closed after landslips caused a huge amount of debris to block the roads.
Various parts of the West were also badly affected by flooding, including Diego Martin.
Chairman of the Diego Martin Regional Corporation Steven Castagne said the corporation, along with the Works Ministry, URP and the Fire Service, was carrying
More than 15,000 people were affected and millions of dollars in damage caused by the weekend's torrential rains in East and West Trinidad, officials said yesterday.
Chairman of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation Patricia Mejias told the Express it was the worst flooding she had seen and believed that the country was not prepared for a hurricane.
"This was just a mild thing, what if we get a hurricane? We have to be prepared and I don't think we are really ready for a disaster in this country," she said.
"I am praying every day, after what I saw yesterday (Saturday) and today (Sunday) I am praying that it don't happen, we are not ready for that," Mejias continued.
She said more than 15,000 people in the Eastern part of the country were affected by flooding because all rivers in the Eastern corridor broke their banks, breaking bridges and causing areas that were never flooded before to come under water.
"This is the first time we have ever seen that kind of flooding, places that never flood before have water. We're out on the field and we are seeing a lot of damages. I'm just so confused now because it's so much," said an overwhelmed Mejias.
She said Millennium Park, Trinicity, for the first time was flooded, causing residents there to lose millions as their houses and everything in them were submerged with water.
"It's really, really bad," said Mejias as she pointed to areas that were flooded such as Bon Air Gardens, Maloney, La Horquetta, St Helena, Carapo, Tunapuna, Trincity, St Augustine North and South.
She called on residents who fall under the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation to call and let the corporation know what sort of help they needed in the aftermath of the floods.
"Some people have lost practically everything. One woman in St Clair Gardens has mud all on her bed, another woman lost her car and a young man in Bon Air Gardens also lost his car," said Mejias.
"In Bon Air, people saw lightning pierce a hole in the ground. It was something else," added Mejias.
Paul Guerra, councillor for La Florissante/Cleaver and head of the disaster unit, said on the Eastern Main Road there were a number of houses flooded as well as two mosques and a church in Tacarigua that were badly hit.
He said the effects could have been even of more disastrous proportions if the Works Ministry did not dredge the Caroni River.
Guerrea said most of the staff from the corporation were called out and were working together with the Office of Disaster and Preparedness Management (ODPM) to help the people clear water and debris from their homes.
"I haven't slept yet, I have been out there since yesterday and we are trying our best to help the thousands affected," he said.
Mejias warned flood victims to empty all utensils and ensure there was nothing lying around for mosquitoes to breed.
She said the corporation was working as" quickly" as it could to clear the debris as well as all the soaked carpets and furniture that people were forced to dump.
She lamented that the corporation did not have enough resources to deal with the thousands of flood victims.
"We are lacking equipment and manpower. Right now the manpower cannot do the kind of work that is happening now," said Mejias.
Asked what might have caused the flooding, Mejias said: "The cutting of the hills, development, people dumping their rubbish in the rivers and not only that...nature. This is something that I have never seen."
She said not only have houses been flooded, a number of roofs were also blown away.
Yesterday, the North Coast Road was closed after landslips caused a huge amount of debris to block the roads.
Various parts of the West were also badly affected by flooding, including Diego Martin.
Chairman of the Diego Martin Regional Corporation Steven Castagne said the corporation, along with the Works Ministry, URP and the Fire Service, was carrying
