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Heavy rains render Portland roadways impassable

Published:Wednesday | November 27, 2024 | 12:11 AMGareth Davis Sr/Gleaner Writer
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Ann-Marie Vaz, member of parliament for Portland Eastern, awaiting the arrival of heavy-duty equipment to clear the roadway leading to the Port Antonio Hospital.
Photo by Gareth Davis Sr
Ann-Marie Vaz, member of parliament for Portland Eastern, awaiting the arrival of heavy-duty equipment to clear the roadway leading to the Port Antonio Hospital.
A look at the blocked roadway at Coopers Hill with Lucan Edwards, a resident, stuck in the mud.
Photo by Gareth Davis Sr
A look at the blocked roadway at Coopers Hill with Lucan Edwards, a resident, stuck in the mud.
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PORTLAND:

Days of torrential rainfall have created severe damage to the road network in Portland, where multiple landslides have occurred in several communities, rendering some roadways inaccessible to vehicular traffic and pedestrians.

Denise Lewis, parish disaster coordinator for Portland, told The Gleaner on Tuesday that emergency teams are on high alert.

She noted that roadways in Coopers Hill, New Road, Windsor, and in sections of the Rio Grande Valley were impacted and were being cleared for single-lane traffic.

“We have flooding and landslide impact within the parish. We have the communities of Breastworks, Naylor’s Road, and Free School in Port Antonio. And we have families impacted as a result of flooding,” she commented.

“We also have landslides at New Road, Windsor, Coopers Hill, Bangor Ridge, and a few other areas. However, the responsible agencies have responded. Information has been put forward to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and their teams are very vigilant. The Portland Municipal Corporation continues to be on alert along with members of Parish Disaster Committee to ensure that the necessary actions are taken,” she added.

On Tuesday, Portland Eastern Member of Parliament Ann-Marie Vaz toured sections of the affected communities, including Seaview Farm, Halls Avenue, Breastworks, Fellowship, and Boundbrook, where several homes were inundated as rivers to overflowed their banks.

“It is bad, period, for my East Portland family, but I am standing by them in this flooding. We will see this through together and I will provide the necessary assistance that is needed,” Vaz said.

“I urge you not to take any unnecessary risk, as your lives are far more important than anything else. Already, I am organising some relief supplies, including basic food items, toiletries, sanitisers, blankets, tarpaulins, and flashlights, which will be distributed between today and tomorrow, once the weather allows us to do so,” she told some residents.

Lucan Edwards recalled being trapped by the Coopers Hill landslide as he tried to cross on foot. After losing his shoes and getting stuck in the mud, he shouted for help. One of his friends, noticing he couldn’t move, rushed to assist him.

gareth.davis@gleanerjm.com