Richard Morais, Gleaner Writer
A section of Trelawny Street in Falmouth which was flooded after heavy showers lashed the town yesterday. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE TRELAWNY capital, Falmouth and its environment suffered severe flooding from the weather system, which passed over some sections of the island on the weekend.
Sections of Market, Cornwall, Pitt, Newton, Princess and Trelawny streets were also flooded and Mayor Jonathan Bartley blamed it on the dumping of debris from the construction of the highway.
A number of families in Hague and Falmouth were forced to relocate or move their belongings to higher ground as a result of the flood waters.
In Hague, two families have had to abandon their homes while a third moved to the top story of their house and has lost their poultry farm as the chickens drowned before they could be saved.
DRAINS INADEQUATE
Residents agreed with the mayor in blaming the flooding on the newly-built highway, which they say is preventing the water from reaching the mangroves. They say that the available drains cannot accommodate the large volume of water that comes with heavy rainfall.
"Most areas near to the mangroves had some flooding as the mangroves seem not to be accepting the water as usual," was one comment that The Gleaner team overheard.
The roadway was not spared, as some sections were also flooded. The road near the Rock Bridge (Big Bridge) was flooded along with a section of Daniel Town.
While he says he supports the "concept of the highway", Mayor Bartley said he had two major concerns and his worst fears have been realised.
"The water coming from the Granville area coming across Carib Road, in the vicinity of the William Knibb High School, needed an outlet and it was only on Thursday we invited the highway people to our meeting to discuss this, this area is now flooded," the mayor said.
"The water coming off the hill at Hague also has no outlet and we pointed this out to them that huge drains are needed; this area has also now been flooded."
He suggested that the problem could be corrected by putting in more and larger drains, not just culverts.
The mayor said this has always been his concern, as one "does not just dump thousands of tons of material in the mangrove without it having an effect."
