Ross Sheil and Robert Lalah, Staff Reporters
Florett McKenzie points to a platform in the ceiling where she tied valuable household items in preparation for flooding in Nightingale Grove, St. Catherine, yesterday. The community experienced heavy flooding during storm rains last year. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
The Meteorological Service yesterday maintained its flash flood watch for low-lying and flood-prone areas of eastern and central parishes until 5:00 this morning, despite there being no reports of widespread flooding, as 'Ernesto' and its associated weather conditions leave Jamaica.
In its 5:00 p.m. bulletin yesterday, the Met Service had warned residents to be prepared and listen out for further bulletins with occasionally heavy showers and thunderstorms expected overnight. Improvement in the weather is expected tomorrow as Ernesto drifts further away.
One dead in Haiti
On Sunday Ernesto left one person dead in Haiti, but at 4:00 p.m. yesterday the United States National Hurricane Center reported that it had slowed over eastern Cuba to 40 miles per hour (75 kilometres/hour), down from hurricane strength at 75 mph (124 km/h) on Sunday. However, Ernesto could return to hurricane strength when it makes landfall in Florida later today, where authorities are making preparations for a Category Two hurricane.
However, with Ernesto now forecast to miss oil rigs and platforms in the U.S. Gulf, oil prices yesterday dropped US$1.90 a barrel.
The Met Service had reported light-to-moderate rain in its 10:00 a.m. bulletin and at times heavy showers in the east and central parishes yesterday morning. But by the afternoon there were no reported cases of flooding in St. Thomas and Portland.
From early yesterday, rains associated with Ernesto had doused Kingston, quickly flooding roadways downtown, in particular the Parade area, which has suffered from blocked drains.
"Dem collecting our tax money and not cleaning the drain dem. This can't be right. Look how long we know hurricane was coming and them leave the place same way," shouted one of a group of women carrying their shoes as they walked through water at the entrance to the Sir William Grant Park.
Several men carried women on their backs and push-cart handlers charged a $20 fee to take persons across flooded streets.
A few miles away, workmen from the National Works Agency were busy using heavy-duty equipment to clear a drain behind the Tinson Pen Aerodrome along Marcus Garvey Drive.
Ronald Jackson, acting director general at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), told The Gleaner as he returned home from a weekend in the office that just a skeleton staff remained to monitor the situation. ODPEM said there were no reports of flooding.
"Nothing happened at all, that's what challenged us. We are basically using it as a learning tool to see how our mechanisms coped and what can be changed," said Mr. Jackson.
