Mafeking residents marooned by flood

Villagers remained confined to their homes with flood waters six feet high yesterday, for the third straight day. Heavy rains on Friday continued into Saturday night, which caused a record high of flood waters at Poole River Valley Road, Old Guayaguayare Road, Fonrose Village and Lazzarie Road in Rio Claro.

Mafeking Village, near Mayaro, was virtually cut-off from the rest of the country throughout the weekend, when the Naparima-Mayaro Road became submerged in six feet of water.

When Newsday visited Mafeking Village yesterday, many residents were engaged in mopping-up operations while others stared forlornly from houses at the murky brown flood waters.

Resident Popo Jaisingh said her family of ten had not left the safety of their two-storey home since the flood waters began rising last Friday night.

Shouting from the balcony of her home surrounded by six feet of water, Jaisingh said the entire downstairs apartment was still submerged in the water.

"The water rose so quickly on Friday night that we did not have time to take out anything," she said. The woman said groceries, beds, wardrobes, clothes, a stove and other household appliances were completely covered by the flood waters.

Electricity and potable water supplies have been disconnected in the area since.

Members of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment have been supplying residents with bread, crix and cheese.