Courtesy of the Weather ChannelHEAVY RAINS and thunderstorms continued to pelt the island yesterday, increasing misery in already hard hit parishes and causing a new round of flooding in sections of central Jamaica.
Clarendon's medical officer of health, Dr. Sonia Copeland, said the ongoing rain has worsened conditions in Osbourne Store and Toll Gate while the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) said that flooding was reported in new areas such as Mocho.
About 14 persons are still in the Johnson Town Basic School and another 20 persons, including 13 children, are being housed at the Alley Primary School in Clarendon, Dr. Copeland said. In southern sections of Clarendon nearly 500 pit latrines will have to be replaced.
Dr. Copeland said there are problems arriving at some final count of the number of persons who have had to leave their homes, because persons are not going to designated shelters and those who are there, only stay in the shelters at night.
The ODPEM reported flooding along several streets in Manchester as well as St. Elizabeth where a number of houses are being threatened by slowly rising water reportedly fed by a pond.
Superintendent Earl Hylton from the Black River Fire Department told The Gleaner that a unit had been dispatched to do an assessment in the New River community, located near Santa Cruz.
The new round of rains is associated with a tropical wave interacting with a mid-to-upper level trough over the west-central Caribbean.
The Meteorological Service said yesterday that outbreaks of showers are expected to continue today. It extended a flash flood watch to northwestern and southern parishes and maintained that a severe weather alert would remain in effect for the rest of Jamaica until this morning.
The flash flood watch covers parishes such as Trelawny, St. James, Hanover, Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon, St. Catherine, Kingston, St. Andrew and St. Thomas. A flash flood watch means flash flooding is possible and that Jamaicans are to keep listening to further bulletins from the Met Service and be ready for quick action if flooding is observed.
Residents in several areas are complaining about mosquitoes. Dr. Copeland said that oiling, fogging and spraying have been continuing but the speed was based on the number of people available and the number of fogging machines. Health officials told The Gleaner that various establishments have been told to credit the health departments with goods needed. Health Minister, John Junor, also says the ministry has received 10 new pick-up trucks, which become operational this week and that fogging machines have been distributed.
