Several families at Nine Miles in Bull Bay and Tavern in Gordon Town had to flee their homes as heavy rains continue to scour the island on the weekend.

Ronald Jackson, director general of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, told The Gleaner that only one shelter was opened yesterday.

"We haven't had any significant reports for most of the day," he said late yesterday. "We had three persons in shelter in Tavern. Up to last night there was nobody else in public shelter."

At Nine Miles in Bull Bay, some residents in the communities of Ball Ground and surrounding districts had to flee their homes because of rising water from a gully running behind their homes.

Reduced to rubble

Iona Daley was one such resident. She said rains from Hurricane Dean had washed away parts of her five-bedroom house.

She said the situation had worsened since the latest rains. "All yesterday morning I in the corner of one of the bedrooms me crouch up in the rain when water came in," she said sadly. "Tears come a me eyes but I still nah give up; from there is life there is hope, the breath no gone yet."

Daley lives with her daughter and son. She said the disaster has come at a time when she is not working.

"I feel so disappointed, but is the hand of God, one thing I glad for, the breath is still here and I don't lose any of my children," she said. "I cry still eenuh because to go back over and make a start again, it rough."

She said all her furniture, including beds, have been damaged.

Meanwhile, the National Works Agency (NWA) said it would continue to work on main roads in St. Thomas and St. Andrew, which were rendered impassable by the heavy rains.

Communications point man at the NWA, Stephen Shaw, said the Easington main road in St. Thomas was now open.

The Meteorological Service yesterday downgraded the flash flood warning to a flash flood watch for low-lying and flood-prone areas of all parishes until 5:00 this morning.