As persistent rainfall continued overnight and throughout Sunday, several communities across six municipalities experienced widespread flooding.
Minister of Rural Development an Local Government Khadija Ameen says the disaster management units across all 14 Corporation districts are on the ground, with assets on standby in the event of landslips, fallen trees and flash flooding incidents.
Camerawoman Kerry Patrick and reporter Cindy Raghubar-Teekersingh
00:00According to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management, areas in Cocorrit, Port of Spain, El Socorro, Lower Santa Cruz, Chaguanas, Tapaquit and Pinal experienced flooding as a result of the day's yellow-level adverse weather alert.
00:15By early afternoon, six major rivers had already exceeded 50% capacity.
00:21The Ministries of Rural Development and Local Government and Agriculture, Land and Fisheries both issued updates saying they were actively responding to the effects of today's adverse weather alert, focusing on residents and farmers respectively.
00:36The Minister of Rural Development and Local Government says all cooperation disaster units have been mobilized.
00:43Our response efforts are well underway. As you know, we started with our flood mitigation program a few days ago.
00:52So the Ministry has been very proactive. All 14 regional corporations, their disaster units have been deployed and are actively responding to incidents on the ground.
01:03The Ministry of Rural Development, our assets have been mobilized in support of regional corporations to address issues such as landslips, fallen trees and flash flooding.
01:16When our camera crew drove through parts of central Trinidad, we met up with councillors of a few of the affected areas.
01:23This is one of the areas over the past decade, I would say, has been neglected.
01:31And when you have neglected in place for so long and you have a new government coming into place, as you know, the expectations are high.
01:38But this is one of the areas that has been earmarked as well as part of the drainage program, the 200 drains to be cleaned.
01:46And we look forward in the near future for this problem to be rectified.
01:49Machinery is on site and we are currently clearing a blockage of a drain that is causing some severe flooding on Marshall Trace Extension.
01:59So all hands are on deck to get our project on the way.
02:02In some areas, residents didn't wait for help. They took initiative, clearing clogged drains themselves.
02:10The chairman of the Tinopuna Piyako Regional Corporation says his teams are on the ground and monitoring the developing situation.
02:17I was also in the Tinopuna area where we had some minor flooding, likewise in the Maloney area and other parts.
02:24So we are monitoring as we move on our disaster management unit.
02:27They are deployed and they are out and about.
02:30They are in the disaster management area where you can go ahead and get the sandbags and so forth.
02:36So we are preparing those for concern purchases.
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