A resident in Nightingale Grove, St. Catherine, moves furniture from his home Thursday after water from a nearby sewerage plant flooded the structure during heavy rains between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Edmond Campbell, News Coordinator

Debbie-Ann Givans, a student of Tacius Golding Comprehensive High School in Brown's Hall, St. Catherine, could only picture the comfort of her bed Thursday night, as she and scores of students of the school had to convert chairs into beds as they prepared to sleep overnight at the institution, after flood waters made it impossible for them to get home.

Fatigued after completing a near 10-mile walk from their school, Debbie-Ann and her two friends seemed to muster the last bit of energy, as they strode tocomplete their arduous journey.

Barefooted with mud covering their feet, bags slung over their backs and shoes in hand, which may have to be repaired or discarded, the girls related their encounter to The Gleaner.

It was in Bannister, Old Harbour, that The Gleaner caught up with the three young girls who all said they were forced to sleep away from home for the first time.

Debbie-Ann and her friends, Cedene and Kemeky, said they were in touch with their parents and were fed by their principal while staying at the school.

The experience was tough for the girls who said they could not hold back the tears when they discovered that they had to stay at the school for the night.

"They need to clean the drains so that this does not happen again," Kemeky said.

Main road still flooded

Officials at the school said the institution would not have opened yesterday for classes as both students and teachers from Kitson Town, Old Harbour and adjoining communities could not get to school because the main road leading to the institution was flooded.

Students were left stranded Wednesday evening because the only route to Old Harbour and its environs from Brown's Hall was inaccessible. The Big Pond swelled as rising waters covered the road.

Th route, according to some residents, was a 10-mile journey to Spanish Town then back to Old Harbour.

It is a problem that the residents of Bannister have had to grapple with for many years and, to date, a solution has not been found.

The residents are suggesting that the National Water Commission and the National Works Agency install culverts to channel the water into a nearby gully.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com