In the face of adversity, the spirit of Divali remained unshaken in Rousillac, Trinidad, as residents battled the aftermath of torrential rains that struck just a day before the Festival of Lights on October 20. Despite being inundated by floodwaters, the community rallied to clean up and prepare for the celebrations, showcasing remarkable resilience and determination.
The weekend’s tropical wave, which prompted a yellow-level adverse weather alert from the TT Meteorological Service, left over a dozen communities in Central Trinidad submerged. Rousillac, located in the southwest, was among the hardest hit. Streets turned into rivers, and homes were threatened by rising waters, yet the residents refused to let the disaster dampen their festive spirit.
Challiram Jodhan, a 64-year-old resident of Grant’s Road, spent hours preparing his home for Divali, only to see his efforts washed away as floodwaters surged around 5 pm on October 19. ‘I couldn’t do nothing,’ he lamented, recounting how water soaked his storage room and filled the foundation beneath his house. Despite the setback, Jodhan and his family remained steadfast, determined to light their deyas (traditional oil lamps) even if the rains returned.
Nearby, Nike Goomansingh and her husband Cecil faced similar challenges. While their home was spared from the floodwaters, their yard was submerged, forcing them to clean up once again after investing time and money in Divali preparations. Cecil attributed the flooding to poorly designed drainage systems, exacerbated by recent housing developments in the area.
In Dow Village, an elderly man, who chose to remain anonymous, showed damage to his outdoor prayer room, or mandir, where waters had risen to two feet. He blamed the narrow drainage channel running alongside his home for the flooding, which was further worsened by a barrel that blocked the outlet.
Despite the widespread damage, the community’s resolve remained unbroken. Nickolas, a resident of Mon Desir Road, worked with his family to prepare bamboo arches for deyas, grateful that their home was narrowly spared from the floodwaters. Sunny skies on Divali morning facilitated cleanup efforts, though the adverse weather alert remained in effect until 10 pm.
Otaheite/Rousillac councillor Javed Mohammed reported that about a dozen homes were affected, primarily by street flooding. The Disaster Management Unit (DMU) mobilized quickly, assisting with cleanup and distributing supplies to those in need. Similar reports of flooding in Palo Seco and Cedros were yet to be assessed.
As night fell on Divali, the deyas of Rousillac shone brightly, a testament to the community’s unwavering spirit in the face of nature’s challenges.