Heavy rain causes flash flooding

Ten people were left homeless, the airport was temporarily closed, traffic was slowed to a crawl and many people were inconvenienced following nearly three inches of torrential rain early Wednesday.

Shortly after 5 am Carmina Richards, 50, of Victoria Village and seven other family members, including her two-year-old grandson, Roshun, were awakened by a constant creaking. A check revealed that a mudslide was covering the house and threatening to trap them inside.{{more}}

They scampered through a window.

SEACHLIGHT spoke to Rochelle Richards, Carmina’s second child who said that her 50 year-old mother and the other occupants of the house are now in a quandary as to where to live while their home is being repaired.

“We have two aunts in Diamonds, so I guess we have to go there,” Rochelle said.

The Richards’ situation was the worst of the damage caused by localized flooding as a result of a weak surface trough which was affecting the island.

The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) said there were several instances of landslides and flash flooding.

As a result, the Windward traffic into Kingstown slowed to a crawl with it taking over two hours to get into town as sections of Arnos Vale were flooded.

The ET Joshua Airport was also affected and was closed from 6 am to 10:45 am. NEMO’s director Howie Prince said that this recurring flooding and mudflow situation at the airport will continue to be so until an engineering solution is put in place.

In Calliaqua, two pensioners’ Christmas was given a sucker punch when the barrel of foodstuff they had just received the previous Sunday from Canada was soaked in the muddy water.

“Theophilus son does always send grocery for us from Canada and now everything mess up,” said 66-year old Estina Dellimore.

The kitchen of she and her common law husband, Theophilus Charles was invaded by the visiting waters, leaving behind a muddy mess.