Heavy rains dampen start of operation

Western Bureau:

The state of public emergency (SOE) in Hanover got off to a very wet start yesterday as heavy winds and rains lashed members of the military and the police as they went about establishing checkpoints and commenced their operations.

“It is like it is the police and soldiers carry the rain come because as soon as they got here, it started to rain, and it has been raining since,” one Hopewell, Hanover, resident told The Gleaner. “They say rain is a blessing, so I hope this is a blessing for Hanover.”

The rains, which also lashed sections of St James and Westmoreland, resulted in several areas being seriously flooded, especially low-lying areas.

Some Hanover residents expressed concern that the five-hour rainfall may have created a loophole for criminals to flee the parish as the showers delayed the setting up of some barricades and checkpoints.

However, The Gleaner observed several soldiers standing their ground throughout the heavy rainfall, conducting checks of mostly public passenger vehicles.

In areas such as Unity Hall in St James as well as Sandy Bay, Lucea, and Green Island in Hanover, rising waters forced the police to vacate their posts.

Hopeton Bucknor