IT WAS a small bet but he lost it and his life as well.
Ten-year-old Chadwin Phillips is a casualty of yesterday's flooding, the result of persistent rain over the past three days.
He was on his way from school at about 2:30 p.m. when he made a bet with a friend that he was capable of jumping across the Sandy Park Gully which runs through the Cassia Park, St. Andrew community where he lived.
Young Chadwin wagered $50 but did not live to spend it. According to the Constabulary Communications Network (CCN), he fell into the gully and was swept away by the raging waters.
Meantime, the driver of a green, four-wheel drive jeep who attempted to cross the Sandy Gully in the vicinity of Queensborough and Molynes Road, was swept away by the flood waters about 1:45 p.m. yesterday. He managed to escape but his vehicle was washed away.
The heavy rains also battered St. James, Hanover and Trelawny causing severe flooding which destroyed several houses and brought traffic to a standstill. At least nine families in St. James were affected and were forced to evacuate their houses. An elderly couple was moved to the homes of relatives after a retainer wall collapsed in New Roads, Cambridge, and forced them out of their nearby dwelling house. The Rosehall main road which leads to several of the resort city's most prestigious hotels, for many motorists, became impassable.
"Whenever we have heavy rains these sorts of embarrassing things always happened ," said businessman Kenneth Dixon. "The roads, particularly in the Rosehall area are disgraceful and we hardly have anything that resembles a drain."
Several trees blocked the main roads leading through Falmouth, causing major traffic congestion. Many frustrated motorists had to abandon their vehicles on the side of the road. A check with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) revealed that it also received reports of flooding in Hopewell, Hanover.
Last night, the Met Office said the widely scattered showers and thunderstorms were expected to continue islandwide today through to tomorrow. The Met Office also reported that cloudy skies with occasional outbreaks of showers would continue over most parishes.
At the same time, a flash flood watch has been extended for low lying and flood prone areas of the island. These include the parishes of Portland, St. Ann, St. Mary, St. Thomas, Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Catherine and Clarendon. A flash flood watch means that flooding is possible and citizens are advised to seek precautionary measures, keep informed by listening to subsequent releases from the meteorological service and be ready for quick action if flooding is observed and if a warning is issued.
Satellite imagery up to late last night showed that a broad area of clouds, with embedded showers and thunderstorms, remain across the island. Radar reports showed that heavy showers affected parts of most parishes. The showers generally moved from the southwest to the northwest of the island.
