For the Ramjit family, flooding is a yearly occurrence, an unwanted Christmas of sorts.
Luckily for them, however, they usually get at least an hour head start before flood waters invade their Madras Road, St Helena home.
Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Setty and Rodney Ramjit said they are usually warned by Rodney’s sister who lives in El Carmen.
Speaking to the T&T Guardian yesterday, Setty said the drainage near their home is poor. She added that the nearby river needs to be dredged properly and regularly.
The couple recalled being stranded in their home on Thursday, anticipating breaking fast after celebrating Divali the day before. When the T&T Guardian visited yesterday the water had already subsided and Rodney said the flood, which was not the worst the family had seen over the years, only claimed the lives of three of their ducks.
At Madras Road, Chaguanas, one woman, trapped in her home as flood waters reached at least three feet high, placed a sign on her window that read “Government Sucks.” The woman, who did not want to be named, said the constant flooding was annoying, adding that Thursday’s flooding was the worse she had ever seen. She said she had her ailing mother in the house and questioned why flooding had to be a yearly occurrence. She answered herself by saying no one cares when the residents suffer yearly.
Benedict Doon said he moved into the area two months ago from Freeport and is now wondering how he will prevent future occurrences. As he spoke, other residents came forward and gave their experiences of yearly flooding, prompting Doon to suggest he may have to put his flat home on stilts.
Other residents like Leela Jattansing, Diawonti Reesal and Kenrick Boodhan all had the same concern, noting talks of compensation for lost appliances in the past never materialized.
Further east at Santa Monica Trace, St Helena, Winston Lutchman said the problem of flooding can be addressed if two flood gates are repaired. He said thanks to the debris and litter often dumped in the waterways, the flood gates don’t close properly and the water makes rivers out of roadways and turns vacant lands into ponds.