WESTERN BUREAU:
A FAMILY of four, including two children and an 80-year-old man, were still marooned in the community of Greenwood, St. James late last night after more heavy rain lashed the north coast parish yesterday causing millions of dollars in road damage and wreaking havoc in the lives of residents in western Jamaica.
Since early yesterday morning, Hortense Holtham and her family have not been able to leave their homes because of floodwaters which have overflown her property and the empty lots next door. Their neighbours have only been able to make contact with them via the telephone.
"The water is coming off the hill and there used to be a pond that collected it, but that has since been dumped up. Now the water has nowhere to go. It settles on the roads and in peoples' yards," said nurse Eileen Robertson, a concerned neighbour.
The Holtham family was not alone in its dilemma, motorist Hyacinth Smith and her 14-year-old grandson, on their way to a family reunion in Blytheston, almost drowned. Her BMW was swept away by the currents in Salt Marsh, Trelawny. Quick thinking by her grandson and citizens of the area saved her life. The boy was reported to have used his hand to break the sun roof of the car and pulled her out after she became unconscious. She was admitted to the Falmouth hospital and later released.
An elderly couple of Rhyne Park Housing Development, St. James, narrowly escaped death when their car was swept to the edge of a small ravine at the entrance to the Cornwall district in the parish. According to eyewitnesses, a passing motorist rescued them.
Householders in Coral Gardens, Salt Spring Road, Glendevon, Cornwall Courts, and Flankers were also flooded out of their homes.
The police reported two houses in the inner-city community of King Street were washed away leaving at least three families homeless.
Ten families in Adelphi and Content were flooded out of their homes while the roads in Spot Valley, Palmyra, Cornwall Road and Paisley were reportedly cut into two affecting more than 5,000 residents.
St. James residents who ventured out on the streets of downtown Montego Bay found a town littered with debris, consisting of gas cylinders, plastic bottles, boxes, old cars and refrigerators.
Several business owners spent the day clearing mud and garbage from their premises.
Trucks from the Public Works Department (PWD) and Metropolitan Parks and Markets (MPM) assisted with clearing up the lower section of Union Street, which was covered in several inches of mud and remained impassable up to press time.
Meanwhile, an emergency meeting convened yesterday at the St. James Parish Council, was attended by head of Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) Dr. Barbara Carby, Minister of Water, Dr. Karl Blythe and People's National Party Region Six chairman and Member of Parliament for South St. James, Derrick Kellier.
Following the midday meeting, an Emergency Centre was established at the council and flood victims were urged to call in for help. Dr. Blythe announced the centre would be open throughout today. A planned tour of St. James was aborted because of continuous rains.
