WESTMORELAND, Jamaica— Frantic efforts were being made on Wednesday to minimise the further flooding of several homes in Little London, Westmoreland, caused by rapidly rising waters following the passage of Tropical Storm Rafael on Tuesday.
Among the communities being affected are Bay Road, Broughton Road, Station Road, Top Road, McNeil Land, Egypt Gardens and Paul Island.
The water started rising from dawn and rapidly spread across the communities.
While the Observer Online was on location of Bay Road, which is a main road located between the Little London town and Llandilo, a vehicle parked on the side of the road was seen quickly surrounded by water which soon flooded the main road. This resulted in some vehicles turning around.
A house surrounded by rising water on the Bay Road in Westmoreland. (Photo: Anthony Lewis)
A resident of Washington Corner, Dean Bryan gave a terrifying account of waking up to see his appliances floating around in the house shortly after three Wednesday morning.
“I woke up this morning only to know that my washing machine and fridge were floating beside me in the house. I step off the bed into a lot of water. I could not believe it this morning. It was surprising to me,” Bryan said.
“It was so shocking. Even now I don’t know what to do. I didn’t even go back inside all now. I can’t even take out nothing I just had to close up the house and leave it same way,” he added.
Resident of Washington Corner, Dean Bryan speaking with the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday. (Photo: Anthony Lewis)
Bryan said when he came outside, water had almost reached him to his shoulder.
According to Bryan, while flooding took place last September and October, this is the worst he has seen to date.
On Bay Road, resident Fiona White left her home around 11:00 am and went into the capital town, Savanna-la-Mar to do business, but when she returned, her house was surrounded by rising water.
“[I was not able to go in] because of the height of the water but eventually I will have to walk in it and go inside,” stated White, who declared that she was scared.
“I am scared because, normally, crocodiles always come up and a lot of forty legs always would be swimming in the water,” stated White.
White, who concurred that the flood situation has never been this bad, said if it persists, she will not be able to go to work.
Another resident of Bay Road, Billy Martin said the rising water, which had reached waist height in some areas, made it difficult to move around in the community.
Martin is calling on the authorities to find a solution to the issue.
“I feel that the government or whoever could contribute to helping towards this could, possibly, build more drains to get rid of the built-up of water in the community potentially,” stated Martin.
– Anthony Lewis