(Jamaica Star) Member of Parliament for East Rural St Andrew, Juliet Holness, is urging persons in the Nine Miles, St Andrew, area of her constituency to evacuate their homes after the Chalky River in the area broke its banks late yesterday.
“Life comes first,” Holness told THE STAR. “We are encouraging persons that life is the first thing to protect. Sometimes persons are reluctant because they are worried about property but I have been cautioning them. They can take what is important but get out. They can always find a way to get back what they have lost.”
The river overflowed around 7:30 p.m., and floodwaters were entering homes within the vicinity of Weise Road.
Since then, residents of the various affected areas have been encouraged to retreat to the St Benedicts Primary School approximately two miles away. Most have been adhering since, Holness revealed.
“When I last checked just after the river broke its banks, persons were seen leaving their residences and heading out. The shelter was established, caregivers are on site and we have actually visited to make sure everything is in place,” she said. The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation is also collaborating with other agencies to provide relief efforts to affected residents.
The constituency saw tragedy on the weekend caused by the heavy rain, as a father and a daughter, Romeo and Sanique Leachman, were killed when a landslide crushed their home in Shooters Hill.
As a low-level trough, as well as the outer bands of Tropical Storm Zeta both continue to influence rainfall across the island, the Meteorological Service of Jamaica extended a flash flood warning for low-lying and flood-prone areas until 5 p.m. today.
The National Works Agency yesterday reported numerous roads were impassable due to flooding. These included: the main road leading from Sheffield to Negril in Westmoreland; and the Lacovia to Mountainside and Lacovia to Newton roads in St Elizabeth. Landslides had also blocked roads in parishes like Clarendon and rural sections of St Andrew.
Fallen trees had also caused partial or complete road blockage in parishes including St James and Hanover.