NINE security guards, who were trapped by flood rains on the Eastern Banana Estates in St. Thomas, had to be rescued yesterday by the Jamaica Defence Force Air Wing."A JDF helicopter came in and assisted the police to rescue the nine security guards who were trapped on the compound of Eastern Banana Estates," Inspector Paul Anderson, of the Golden Grove police station, told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday. "This is the worst I've seen the flooding in three years. The water is three feet high on the main road, and the water came into the police station yard, but we have not been affected adversely because the station is built on a high incline."
The police also reported that a returning resident was trapped in Bowden and a bulldozer was being used to try to rescue her.
The area of unstable weather associated with a broad surface trough over the central and western Caribbean, which brought heavy rains, is expected to continue affecting the area until today. There were several cases of landslides and flooding in the parishes of St. Thomas and Portland.
Other rescue efforts were also occurring in Portland.
"We are swamped with calls, and our unit is now out in the field doing a number of rescues...we are swamped but doing the best we can," said Assistant Superintendent Preston Miller of the Port Antonio fire station.
"We rescued two persons from a Toyota Corolla motorcar in the river at the foot of Stony Hill on Saturday, and we are still evacuating persons," ASP Miller said.
The rains forced the mobilization of a number of disaster support agencies such as the National Emergency and Operations Centre at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and the National Works Agency (NWA). The JDF and NWA conducted reconnaissance of affected areas, while the parish disaster co-ordinators in St. Thomas and Portland were monitoring the situation, the ODPEM said.
The Sunday Gleaner's correspondent in St. Thomas reported yesterday that 40 persons had to seek shelter at Young's business place in Port Morant. He said the residents of homes that were flooded out, blamed it on blocked drains.
There was also flooding in Church Corner and Ducken-field and reports of land slippage in Leith Hall through to Port Morant.
The ODPEM also reported that there was flooding in the "Village" community in Prospect. The Golden Grove main road was also reported to be impassable early yesterday.
In Portland, the ODPEM reported, a landslide choked off the main road between Long Road and Happy Grove, and the community of Rural Hill experienced flooding.
Meanwhile, in St. Catherine, sections of the Old Harbour Road were inundated but passable. The Church Pen main road was flooded and motorists were advised to proceed with caution.
Up to press time last night, a flash flood warning was in effect for the parishes of Portland, St. Thomas, Clarendon and Trelawny, and a watch posted for other parishes.
