Clarendon grapples with boulders, breakaways amid Ida heartbreak
Published:Monday | August 30, 2021 | 12:08 AMOlivia Brown/Gleaner Writer
Tropical Storm Ida is estimated to have caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to central Jamaica after heavy rains unleashed a trail of destruction in the Clarendon district of Wakefield.
That’s the view of Clarendon North Western Member of Parliament Phillip Henriques, who surveyed the Thompson Town to Smithville main road that was rendered impassable by boulders, silt, and fallen trees.
Henriques, a first-time MP in North Western, said that hilly regions of the constituency have been dealt a hard blow, with communities still recovering from the effects of Tropical Storm Grace two weeks ago.
Costs from adverse weather in the Atlantic hurricane season are expected to top $1 billion, with preliminary estimates for Tropical Storm Elsa put at more than $800 million and Grace’s bill at $172 million.
“We are suffering from a big problem because from the first storm, Grace, some people haven’t even gotten back their light, but I know the JPS (Jamaica Public Service Company) is working to have those repaired and we are grateful for the work they are doing, as well as the National Works Agency who are giving us the clearance to go ahead and open some of these roads,” Henriques told The Gleaner on Saturday.
The constituency is prone to landslides, breakaways, and other infrastructural damage during heavy rainfall.
Henriques said that proper drainage systems will have to be implemented to lessen the impact.
Residents in Smithville were marooned by Ida’s floods on Thursday evening.
The MP said his team was working assiduously to have the roadways cleared to return some form of normality to the community.
Smithville residents were seen crossing flooded roadways with groceries they secured for the second weekend of lockdown.
Carlene Smart said she had been walking for more than three hours to get access to public transport.
“The road is in bad shape. Even some roads that were repaired around July or so also have huge ditches in it, so we have a task ahead,” said Henriques.
Coffee Piece, Grantham, Kilsythe, and Blackwoods are among the worst-hit communities with broken roadways.
On Saturday, yam farmer Melonie Sergeant busily packed up bamboo that had been pulled on to the road by landslides. She told The Gleaner that she usually ventures farther to source bamboo sticks for her yam field.
The MP said that his team, supported by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, delivered care packages to people in marooned communities.