West on flood alert - ODPEM says response team in place

WESTERN JAMAICA residents were last night told to brace for tropical depression conditions from a weather system which is threatening the Cayman and Turks and Caicos islands.

Ronald Jackson, director general of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), said crew members have been told to be on high alert to deal with eventualities that may result from adverse weather conditions.

"While the threat is more for Cayman and possibly the Turks and Caicos Islands, the outlook is that it possibly could cause flooding and landslides over sections of Jamaica, and that is likely to be the western end," Jackson said.

"What we have done is notify all the parish emergency personnel to be on standby for that," he added.

The Meteorological Service last night extended the flash-flood warning for low-lying and flood-prone areas of St Mary, Portland, St Thomas, Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester, and St Elizabeth until this morning.

The Met Service also said the area of low pressure over the Caribbean Sea began moving slowly towards the northwest during the course of yesterday and was located west of Jamaica.

"A gradual reduction in rainfall is expected after Tuesday," the service said.

grade three tests postponed

The Ministry of Education has announced the postponement of the Grade Three Diagnostic Tests, which were scheduled to begin today.

The Caribbean Examinations Council has also said students sitting exams could opt to use centres closest to them if they have difficulty getting to assigned centres.

In the meantime, Stephen Shaw, manager of customer services at the National Works Agency (NWA), told The Gleaner, "There is no need for panic."

Shaw said the agency has been able to respond effectively in clearing blocked roads and reopening corridors. He also told The Gleaner that the NWA would not be in a position to estimate the cost of the effects of the rains on the country's infrastructure.

Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry instructed the NWA to put together a programme of work to clear blocked roadways and critical drains as the hurricane season progresses.

more money for nwa work

The NWA programme of work has been allocated an additional $100 million to complement $100 million that has been allocated to the Department of Local Government to fund drainage work to be determined by the parish councils; and $6 million has been allocated to each member of parliament for the same purpose, the works ministry said.

St Thomas reportedly received the majority of the downpour, but rising waters in sections of the parish were receding.

In St Elizabeth, the parish disaster preparedness office reported that the level of the New River was rising. Parish Disaster Coordinator Renée Bradford-Britton advised citizens to be "cautious, alert, and on the ready to act and move".

Jackson, meanwhile, said: "It is early season and there is something called response fatigue which not only affects personnel, but it affects your resources, so we are trying to manage carefully."