Clarendonians enter hurricane season with flood fears

With the June 1 arrival of the hurricane season, a wave of concern is sweeping through Clarendon, as stakeholders are citing worry over the risk of flooding, particularly in vulnerable sections of May Pen, the parish capital. The threat of heavy rains looms like a dark cloud, stirring apprehension and highlighting the urgent need for preparedness in the face of nature’s impending wrath.

Joel Williams, chairman of the Clarendon Municipal Corporation and mayor of May Pen, acknowledged that the Guinep Tree area especially has been plagued by persistent flooding issues for years. He believes, however, that an upgrade to the drainage network could provide a lasting solution to these problems.

“Guinep Tree area is always going to be an issue until we can correct the drainage. I drove through there [over the weekend], all the way into Howard Avenue, and all of those drains are too small for this kind of rain, and the water that we have coming through those areas now, so it [will require] a long-term plan. We will have to look at how we are going to expand those drains. In the meantime, we have to keep them clean, so that when it rains, the water will run off quickly. Until we correct those drainage situations, we are going to continue to face this kind of problem,” said Williams.

Williams acknowledged the challenge of addressing the flooding issues, emphasising that while there were plans in place to address the situation, their implementation, however, requires substantial funding.

In the meantime, the mayor said, the immediate focus will be on ensuring that the existing drains are kept clean to mitigate flooding.

Scean Barnswell, the minority leader within the Clarendon Municipal Corporation, echoed these sentiments, emphasising the parish’s lack of preparedness to endure the impact of the hurricane season.

According to Barnswell, several areas across the parish are in dire need of drain rehabilitation. He pointed specifically to the corridor from Soursop Turn to Bucknor, Guinep Tree, the vicinity of Tiger Market, and other low-lying regions such as Toll Gate and Race Course.

Frustration with NWA

“I’m worried about the parish in terms of readiness. The municipal corporation has done what it can in terms of the routine maintenance of community drain cleaning, but the main concern lies with the National Works Agency (NWA) drains. These drains have not been cleaned since 2015, if my memory serves me right, and we have seen quite a bit of flooding taking place,’’ said Barnswell.

Last Wednesday, The Gleaner contacted Stephen Shaw, the manager of communication and customer services at the NWA. However, responses to the questions posed were not received up to Friday.

According to Barnswell, the NWA was absent from the last disaster preparedness committee meeting in May, where attendance from all state agencies was expected. He claimed the NWA had been absent for the past eight years, adding that former Mayor Winston Maragh had attempted to engage the agency through written invitations, to no avail.

“I know that Mayor Joel Williams had indicated that he’ll be writing to the minister with responsibility to outline his frustration of not having these agencies attending our disaster meetings. The parish, in general, is not ready. Just from the one-hour downpour we had in May Pen [over the weekend], the Guinep Tree area was flooded again. I know the businesspeople within the town of May Pen have a concern as it relates to how they’re able to do business whenever we’re having rainfall, because these drains have outlived their existing sizes. The National Works Agency is not maintaining these drains and we’ll keep having flooding taking place,” said Barnswell.

The May Pen Vendors Association has also expressed concern over revenue losses incurred during rainy weather.

Speaking with The Gleaner, Lorraine Green-Mason, president of the association, highlighted that vendors who ply their trade in the May Pen Market are among those most severely affected.

“There are sections of the market that leaks, so as the rain sets up, the vendors have to pack up,” she expounded.

Green-Mason expressed distress over the longstanding issue of what she described as shoddy infrastructure plaguing the May Pen business community during the rainy season, highlighting Fernleigh Avenue as one of the most affected sections.

“It has always been the same thing happening over and over again, and we know what the problems are. What we need is a proactive action to mitigate those problems. The way they’re placing the drains is not logical. You place the drain on the hillside of the road – the water is not going to go uphill. I don’t think they have consulted adequately with the persons who live or work within the areas,” said Green-Mason, stating that she was hoping for a speedy redress to the matter.

olivia.brown@gleanerjm.com