Major flooding, infrastructure damage after heavy downpour batters St James

Scores of persons in St James were forced to abandon work and the reopening of schools this morning due to heavy rains.

The downpour, which battered sections of western Jamaica last night, has left many roads impassable, homes flooded and residents dislocated.

Communities such as Cornwall Courts, Green Pond, Albion, and Unity Hall were badly affected.

In the case of Cornwall Courts, the sewage system in a section of the community was compromised, resulting in sewage flowing back into some homes.

 “At about 4:00 a.m., we woke up to discover the house flood out as the sewage had backed up and was flowing back into the house,” a Cornwall Courts resident told The Gleaner.

“Water was flowing in off the roadway, where some cars were flooded out.” 

According to one resident, while recognising that the flood rains were an act of God, she criticised the National Housing Trust (NHT) and National Works Agency for failing over the years to address problems associated with the roadway and the drainage, which residents believe are responsible for the perennial flooding of their homes.

“Except for one visit from a field officer from the NHT, our calls have largely been ignored,” said one householder.

“After every major rain, we are usually left with a huge cleaning bill and items like carpets are usually rendered useless.”

Meanwhile, while no emergency centre in the parish has been activated, Montego Bay's Mayor Leeroy Williams says teams from the St James Municipal Corporation were out early today clearing roadways affected by heavy silt, which has reduced vehicular traffic to a crawl.

“We have a crew down in the Unity Hall area, which has been badly affected in terms of debris on the roadway, and we have dispatched heavy equipment to the King Street area, which has been affected by land slippage,” said Williams.

“We are monitoring the situation and we are prepared to take whatever action we deem necessary.”

With the sky heavily overcast and clear indications that there may be more rains, at least one woman found a light moment amid the dislocation.

She jokingly asked if the flooding in Montego Bay was connected to a prediction by now deceased controversial leader of the Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries, Pastor Kevin Smith, coming through belatedly. 

“It looks like His Excellency (Smith) flood prediction come a few weeks too late….it is still Monday morning so it still not too late for the ark (the heavenly vessel Smith predicted would come) to come,” said the woman, who was awaiting transportation in the Cornwall Courts community, to her friend jokingly.

- Adrian Frater

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.