Significant road damage, flooding caused by heavy rains

As Tropical Storm Eta continued to strengthen with forecasters expecting it to re-emerge as a hurricane again late on Sunday, heavy rains continue to affect roads in several parishes across Jamaica leaving some impassable, due to landslides and flooding, while others have been reduced to single lane traffic.

Stephen Shaw, Communication and Customer Service Manager at the National Works Agency spoke with Radio Jamaica’s newscaster Derrick Wilks at noon Sunday about the developing situation.

Bog Walk

The Bog Walk Gorge remained closed on Sunday as a result of rising water arising from the rains as well.

In a tweet, the Office of Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management, said the closure of the Bog Walk Gorge was due to flooding.  

Motorists were advised to use alternative routes via the Edward Seaga Highway and Sligoville in St. Catherine.

St. Thomas

A St. Thomas woman narrowly escaped serious injuries after a section of the Yallahs Pipeline ruptured at Eleven Miles, Bull Bay on Saturday, causing significant damage to her property.

Sometime after 1:00 p.m., a section of the 36 inch Yallahs pipeline, which transport water from the Yallahs River in St Thomas into Kingston, ruptured. This resulted in water gushing onto her property.

A retaining wall on the property and a recently constructed concrete perimeter wall collapsed and flooded the house.

National Water Commission personnel were forced to cut supply to the community.

The police arealso advising motorists, especially those driving small vehicles, to avoid using the detour road at Coley near a bridge that is under construction.

The roadway which links Morant Bay to Georgia is being adversely affected by rainfall.

Aotorist who attempted to use the detour road Sunday morning was trapped in heavy mud and silt,  and had to be assisted out of the riverbed.

Public passenger vehicles have resorted to dropping off passenters at either end of the detour road.

As a result, commuters have been walking from one side of the river to the other in order to access transportation.

St. Elizabeth

The main road from Lacovia to Maggotty in St. Elizabeth remained impassable due to a landslide at Rice Piece.

The famed Holland Bamboo Avenue was reduced to single lane, due to fallen trees.

The main road near Black River High School has also been rendered impassable, while operators of small vehicles have been advised not to attempt to use the road between Luana and Black River at Spring Park. These areas are now flooded.