St Catherine residents affected by heavy rains

Preliminary assessment of the effects of last week’s heavy rainfall has shown that there was no widespread damage to crops or basic infrastructures in St Catherine.

Chairman of the St Catherine Disaster Preparedness Committee, Roogae Kirlew, said however that the houses of some 50 residents in two communities were flooded out and had to be given assistance.

“There were flooding in sections of Linstead and Cotton Piece in Ewarton, where about 50 residents were affected and had to be supplied with bedding and clothing, and about 15 occupants at a nursing home in Ewarton had to be temporarily relocated to the Gospel Lighthouse after they were flooded out. These residents are in need of urgent relief supplies,” Kirlew revealed.

“In addition to the flooding, a massive landslide occurred along the Santa Maria main road, where a crew from the National Works Agency, up until Monday, was still trying to clear.”

According to Kirlew, the committee is monitoring landslides that were cleared along the Point Hill, Zion Hill and Harkers Hall roads for possible after-effects.

The disaster committee chairman revealed that the group is now formulating a system whereby residents who live in the Bog Walk Gorge can gain access to their homes without undue delay.

GATE ACCESS

“Currently, residents who are locked out after the gates to the gorge are closed have to wait many hours to get to their homes. The police, fire department and National Works Agency personnel who have keys to the gates usually take hours to respond,” Kirlew disclosed.

He said the committee is now looking at giving a key to a trusted person from a community organisation who can respond expeditiously to residents who request entry.

In the Mount Industry division of the parish, there are breakaways along the Bamboo Ridge main road and the Grateful Hill road in Glengoffe.

The breakaway along the Bamboo Ridge main road is of major concern to Kirlew, who is the councillor for the division.

“Some 200 residents are in danger of being marooned in the community if the rains continue and the breakaway worsens, which is a real possibility, not to mention the danger it presents to motorists and pedestrians “ He told The Gleaner on Monday after inspecting the damage to the road.

He added that he had sought assistance from the Works Department at the municipal corporation to carry out remedial work in the meantime.