Four families stood in the rain and watched as galvanised sheets were torn off their roofs by strong winds yesterday.

The heavy rainfall swamped the nation's roadways and caused massive flooding in several parts of the country.

Dhanmattiee Mathura, who lives at Windsor Park, California, said she was having lunch when the raindrops began pounding on her windows. "I heard the heavy rain and all of a sudden there was a loud crashing sound and my husband shouted for us to run outside. We went downstairs and when we looked up the roof was gone. The rain started filling the house and everything was soaked. I lost everything inside my house," she said.

Mathura said she lived in the two bedroom house with her husband, Premchand, and four children.

Within minutes two other families in the village lost their roofs, Mathura said.

At nearby Phoenix Park, California, several trees were uprooted and a shed was blown away, fire officials said.

There were also reports of flooding in Fyzabad, Debe and Barrackpore. Fire officers said several roads were under water and families remained marooned in their homes for several hours.

All roads leading to Windsor Park were impassable, with almost three feet of flood waters. At Sum Sum Hill, Claxton Bay residents said the flooding had become unbearable. "We haven't cleaned up from last week flooding yet and now we get another hit," Mahadeo Seemungal said.

And at Palm Avenue, Carli Bay Road, Couva another family were repairing their blown off roof last night. Joan Diaz said the high winds started around 2.30 p.m. "The entire back portion of the roof was blown off and rain started beating inside the house. My children books and clothes were drenched," she said.

At Macaulay Village, near Claxton Bay, several functions, including a wedding reception, was cancelled because of the floods. Villagers were marooned inside their homes as water covered the roadway.