Gareth Davis, Gleaner Writer

Port Antonio, Portland:

As Portlanders struggle to recover from last Friday's torrential rainfall and flooding, more devastation could occur as a Bailey bridge at the Swift River community in west Portland is now under threat from the nearby Banta Ma River.

Councillor for the Buff Bay division, Rupert Kelly, told The Gleaner on Wednesday that unless the emergency disaster teams remove three fallen trees blocking the Banta Ma River, the Bailey bridge, which links Swift River, Chelsea and Bloomfield, will be washed away, resulting in wide-scale flooding.

"Water from the river has forced its way behind the gabon baskets," said Councillor Kelly. "The trees are blocking the normal flow of water from the river which has taken another course. This Bailey bridge is now in danger of being washed away and, if this happens, hundreds of residents could be cut off from society."

Estimate

Yesterday, Port Antonio Mayor Benny White said the superintendent of the Portland Parish Council would first have to do an estimate of the cost of clearing the trees and have it submitted to the secretary/manager of the council before anything could be done.

Several roadways in west Portland still remained blocked yesterday as a result of land slippages, including Shirley Castle, Bybrook, Springfield and Chelsea.

However, the National Works Agency has dispatched workmen to the affected areas and expected the roadways to be cleared by yesterday.

Councillor Kelly said the funds being allocated to each parish council division is grossly insufficient, as the remote areas of the parish were worst affected by the recent heavy rains. He noted that coffee farmers are unable to transport their crop to market, as the Shirley Castle Road cannot accom-modate trucks at this time.

Since the rain subsided, residents who were forced to evacuate their homes on Friday have returned home, and are engaged in the cleaning up of their respective communities.

Last Friday's torrential rains also claimed the life of a local resident, at Red Hassel Road, after she was trapped in a mudslide which covered her house.