THIRTY-ONE persons, 21 of them children, turned to the Church for refuge yesterday after flood waters drove them out of their homes in Backlash, Yallahs in St. Thomas.

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) said the residents are being housed at the Yallahs New Testament Church.

The ODPEM also said that one family in Bath, St. Thomas, had to relocate temporarily to a nearby dwelling after a tree collapsed and damaged their home.

In Rocky Point, Clarendon, two elderly persons were also forced to leave home after their house was flooded, while residents in Pondside Drive, Bull Bay, St. Andrew, spent most of the night watching flood waters which surrounded their homes.

The entire island has been experiencing bad weather conditions since last Saturday and duty forecaster at the Meteorological Services of Jamaica, Peter Ferron, said it is expected to continue today. A flash flood warning has been issued for low-lying and flood-prone areas of all parishes until this afternoon.