UPDATE | Roads blocked in Portland flooding cleared - NWA

The National Works Agency (NWA) says roads that were blocked because of flooding linked to two consecutive days of heavy rains in eastern Portland have been cleared. 

Manager, Communication and Customer Services at the NWA, Stephen Shaw, says works will still be under way over the next 24 hours to remove debris and improve road conditions. 

"The flood waters have receded somewhat and we have been able to respond with equipment, including a backhoe and multi-grader to try and make it easier for persons to traverse the areas that have been impacted," he told The Gleaner on Saturday evening. 

The rains have wreaked havoc in sections of Rio Grande Valley area, leaving residents to contend with damaged roadways, flooded homes and devastated farmlands days before Christmas. 

The severe weather, which started Friday, battered the communities of Long Lane, Durham, Cooper's Hill, Pigdry, Seaman's Valley, and Windsor in the Rio Grande Valley area. Trees also blocked sections of the North Coast Highway were also impacted. 

Shaw said the areas were affected by a combination of flooding, landslides and fallen rocks. 

Member of Parliament for Eastern Portland, Annmarie Vaz, had also indicated that a work team was mobilised with heavy-duty machinery, has been deployed to clear blocked roadways, remove debris, clean drains and address land slippages. 

“This is rather unfortunate, but no one has control over the weather. This is not the kind of Christmas present that I want for my East Portland family,” she said.

The newly asphalted roadway from Pigdry to Seaman's Valley suffered significant damage as the White Cane River overflowed, inundating the thoroughfare and destroying several hectares of banana, plantain, pumpkin, pepper, and other crops. 

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