East flood outBy ALEXANDER BRUZUAL Tuesday, August 11 2009
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RESIDENTS and businessmen from several areas in East Trinidad particularly St Augustine, Tunapuna, Macoya and Curepe spent most of yesterday cleaning mud and water from their homes and businesses after several hours of rainfall caused major flooding in these areas.
So high were flood waters along both the Eastern Main Road and parts of the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, that hundreds of motorists were stuck in long lines of traffic for several hours.
Offices, restaurants, schools, houses and even two RC churches were not spared by the floods which followed heavy thunder showers.
In Woodford Street, Curepe, several toddlers had to be evacuated by firemen when the flood water gushed into the building. Along the Eastern Main Road, opposite Mario’s Pizzeria, a woman had to be pulled out of her car as it bobbed up and down in the brown water.
Near the University of the West Indies along the bus route, strong winds broke off tree branches, and scattered debris across the road. In Warner Street, Spring Village, along the Southern Main Road, cars were almost submerged as the flood water rose to as high as four feet.
Theresa Williams, a teacher at the Curepe Pentecostal Nursery, recalled she had to call the Fire Services to evacuate over 30 children from the school.
“The rains came and everything was quiet. Then out of nowhere water started to flow into the building and it flowed hard and fast. I just remember calling the fire services and they came and helped us move all the children into the church,” Williams said.
Also along Woodford Street in Curepe, flood water pushed down a wall between two houses.
The Mt Lambert RC Church and Fatima RC Church in Bushe Street, Curepe were both flooded out. Debris filled the pews of both churches.
Evelyn Tucker of El Dorado said she was amazed at the rapid, swift rise of the flood water along the Eastern Main Road in St Augustine.
“I was driving my car when I saw in the distance some water on the road. I was going in the shop around the corner and something told me to park further up, but I didn’t want to be caught in the rain so I continued,” Tucker recalled.
“My laptop, purse and cellphone were all in the backseat when a wall of water just slammed against my car, pushing it to the other side of the road. The water rose to the dash board and the car stalled. Men in a passing truck saw me in trouble and pulled me out of the car window to safety,” she added.
The Member of Parliament for St Augustine, Vasant Bharath, was out of the jurisdiction yesterday, however Newsday was able to contact one of the councillors for the area, Khadijah Ameen who said that in her seven years as a councillor, she had never seen such terrible flooding.
Ameen said that up to 7 pm, officials from the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation’s Emergency Disaster Response team were out on the street cleaning debris and assisting affected persons. However she said she was very fearful of a repeat of the situation.
“This is quite early in the year. Usually around November we see this kind of flooding, so what is going to happen later on? This situation needs the immediate and urgent attention of the Government, before something disastrous takes place,” Ameen said. Chairman of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation, Patricia Mejias was reportedly seen patrolling affected areas in her district assisting affected persons. Officials from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) were also on hand to render assistance to affected persons.
