By Leiselle Maraj Wednesday, November 19 2008

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Incessant rains over the past few days, coupled with yesterday’s inclement weather resulted in flooding, landslides and left students marooned at a primary school in Bourg Mulatresse.

Clean up operations at two Water and Sewerage Authority(WASA) water treatment plants were also hampered by the showers and thundershowers affecting several areas in Trinidad.

One meteorologist at the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service, Synoptic Branch, Piarco said inclement conditions yesterday afternoon were as a result of daytime heating and moisture in the atmosphere around the country coupled with low level winds. She added that the effects of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone were expected to affect the country later in the evening.

Scattered showers and thundershowers were experienced in Trinidad, particularly in the west. Localities in south west Trinidad also endured torrential downpours and street and flash flooding. The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) stated landslides were reported in several areas from western Trinidad up to St Joseph.

These areas include: Lady Young Road, Never Dirty, Morvant, Store Drive, Petit Valley, Ravine Road, Petit Valley, Clove Hill Street, Mt Coco Road, Belmont Valley Road, Mc Shine Lands, La Baja Road, Maracas, St Joseph, Upper Mendez Drive, Champs Fleurs, Valsayn Road, St Joseph and Julien Trace, Cascade. Flooding was reported in Petit Bourg.

Another advisory stated commuters were left stranded at transportation hubs, roadways were blocked with vehicular traffic as areas in western and eastern Trinidad were covered with water. One motorist who was attempting to reach Port-of-Spain from her place of work in St James said it took her one and a half hours to cover five blocks in Woodbrook.

“I left Alfredo Street, went along Roberts Street, went down French Street and across Gatacre (Street) and then decided to return to my place of work. It got to a point where I was envying those walking alongside my car. People were just coming out of their cars and observing the situation because traffic was at a standstill,” she said.

Several houses were impacted, leaving residents marooned, stated the second ODPM release. The release warned residents to remain vigilant and be prepared to move to higher ground if flood waters begin to rise.

ODPM communications officer, Donna Pierre, said the Highways Division of the Works and Transport Ministry was assisting several regional corporations to clear away debris from reported landslides.

Another ODPM official said members of the Defence Force were dispatched to south Trinidad, where there were also reports of distress, as well as to Bourg Mulatresse to assist children trapped by waters at an undisclosed primary school. The official said at the time of Newsday’s call, the battalion was still unable to reach the children therefore further information could not be obtained. She also did not know the name of the school or further details.

Heavy overnight rains on Monday and into yesterday, according to a WASA release, have affected the operations of the Caura Water Treatment Plant and the L&N Waterworks at Maracas. An extensive clean-up exercise was undertaken at both plants but this was hampered by persistent rainfall, the release stated.

Mop-up operations were ongoing and are expected to continue today, with a resumption in the normal functioning of both plants thereafter.