A 30-month-old baby girl slipped out of her mother's arms and drowned while they were crossing a river during heavy rains yesterday.

This was one of the reports Tobago's National Emergency Management Authority was investigating last night.

NEMA's assistant director Allan Stewart said they received a report that the incident happened while the mother and daughter were crossing Crooks' River at Rocklyvale, Scarorough in mid afternoon.

The baby's body had not been found up to last night, he said.

Assistant superintendent Nazhir Khan in Scarborough said they were also investigating the report. The name of the mother was not disclosed.

Less than three inches of rain yesterday caused many parts of the country to be under more than three feet of water.

Black skies covered many parts of the nation with the Meteorological Office at Piarco recording 2.6 inches of rainfall (67.5 mm).

And there were as many as 60 power outages throughout the country as a result of lightning.

The corporate communications manager at the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission, Stephen Martel explained that the "unusual weather" resulted in 30 reports of outages in North Trinidad, 10 in the east, 15 in Central and 15 in South Trinidad.

There was also no power supply in Tobago from Moriah to Charlotteville.

Martel said crews would be working throughout the night to restore the power supply

During the heavy rains, a man fell off a cargo boat Queen Latoya at the Caricom jetty in Queen's Wharf, Port of Spain. He was picked up by a passing boat.

And places of worship were not spared. The Emmaus Centre in Torrecilla Gardens, Arima, which houses Dominican nuns was flooded out after three hours of rain.

For many the rains are not a blessing but almost a curse with flood after flood hitting several parts of Trinidad within the last two months.

It was no different yesterday as areas in North, Central and South Trinidad were swamped following heavy rains.

The heavy showers were as a result of an area of low pressure associated with a tropical wave, officials at the Met office said.

The rains, which caught many by surprise left several pedestrians stranded at the RBTT Independence Square branch, Port of Spain as they sought shelter from sheets of"white rain,"while some motorists travelling along Wrightson Road, Port of Spain abandoned their vehicles amidst rising floodwaters.

There were also reports of flooding in Freeport, Arima, Belmont and Carenage.

One caller said a wall was broken down in Cuzconuzco, Santa Cruz to let raging flood waters pass. And patients at the St Andrews Home for the aged on Belmont Circular Road were taken to higher ground to escape rising floodwaters.

There were also frantic calls from residents of The Crossings in Santa Rosa, Arima, where more than 25 homeowners were left with the task of bailing out water from their homes.

And residents on Savary Road, Las Lomas said their homes were filled with as much as four feet of water.

"It is really difficult for me because I just bought my house and I bought new furniture and appliances, only for the floods to destroy them,"said one resident.

The Office of Disaster, Preparedness and Management (ODPM) confirmed reports of flooding, landslides and fallen trees throughout the East West corridor and the North West section of Trinidad.

Reports to the ODPM of flooding were received from the Tunapuna/Piarco, Port of Spain, Diego Martin, Arima, Couva/Tabaquite /Talparo and Chaguanas Regional Corporations.

There was also flooding along the Eastern Main Road from Port of Spain to San Juan and on the Churchill Roosevelt Highway east of Trincity, especially the Mausica area.