Norman Grindley and Ross Sheil, Staff Reporters

Verona Hylton stands on a makeshift walkway in her yard that is covered with mud, in Port Maria, St. Mary, yesterday. Miss Hylton says the contents of her house were damaged last week by flood water that rose chest high. Her sister Debra is in the background. - photos by Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

Residents of Port Maria in St. Mary are relieved today that the Meteorological Service has lifted the flash-flood warning that was in place for, especially, north-eastern parishes during most of last week. But now they are in need of about 1,000 blankets, tarpaulins, water, food and mattresses.

Thursday's flooding, which has been blamed on a bridge that was built too low and allowed the rising river to pass over it, has incensed Mayor of Port Maria, Bobby Montague.

This and better management of drains and rivers could have avoided the flooding throughout the parish, contends Mayor Montague.

"This is a man-made disaster. Someone ought to be held criminally responsible!" he told The Sunday Gleaner. He suggested that the usual disaster relief from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of $5,000 per household should be increased for affected residents in St. Mary.

Minister of Local Government and Environment, Dean Peart, who visited the scene on Friday, said that it would take three months to complete work to raise the bridge the necessary three feet to avoid a reoccurrence.

Cleaning up a priority

Mr. Peart said that after completion, work will begin on a second bridge that was to be built at the same level, but will now also be raised by three feet. "Cleaning up is the priority, and we have employed people to do the work, including cleaning the drains. It's pure muck and the whole town is mucky. We have some trucks and we'll be taking the rubbish out of the town using them," advised Mr. Peart.

Yesterday, businesses were at a standstill as residents could be seen working hand in hand with authorities to clean up homes, business places and public buildings. On the streets there was a high-profile police presence to ensure security following the looting of the Courts furniture store on Friday.

However, continued rain hampered clean-up efforts, while water supplies remain affected.

Contents of many homes and businesses had been almost destroyed. Sharon Smith's four-bedroom house saw chest-high waters pass through it and her daughter Verona's Hylton's own seven-month-year-old baby had to be taken to higher ground for safety. When The Sunday Gleaner passed by in the morning, Ms. Smith and her daughter were hard at work attempting to wash the soiled furniture in the yard outside their home. Ms Smith said she has to be sleeping on a chair because her mattress was soaked by water. "Nobody came to even look to see what happened to me," said the teary-eyed woman. "Even if they could just came and say sorry for what has happened I would feel much better."

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) said that it would continue to concentrate on delivering supplies to and assessing the welfare needs of persons worst affected in the parishes of Portland, St. Mary and St. Ann. The National Works Agency (NWA) continued to clear landslides in Portland yesterday while the Salvation Army and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security attended to several communities in the parish to which roadways remained cut off. These are Cooper's Hill, Chatsworth, Burbon, Moore Town and Maidston. ODPEM has warned the public to remain cautious with further showers forecasted.

ODPEM flood tips:

- DO NOT ATTEMPT to cross flooded gullies, rivers and streams

- Keep essential documents in water-proof containers or plastic bags

- Monitor the radio