Juliet Holness, member of parliament (MP) for East Rural St Andrew, on Sunday rescued residents who were sheltered without food and toiletries at the Friendship Brook Primary School in Cane River, St Andrew.
According to second-term MP Holness, 22 individuals had to seek refuge in the school as a precautionary measure, while the rain pelted the area, causing the water levels to rise in the Cane and Chalky rivers.
“I just received a call indicating that persons were here from actually yesterday (Saturday) and they were in short supply of food and didn’t have any toiletries at all, so we rushed in and made every effort to make them comfortable,” Holness said.
“It is not so nice to be away from home, to be in a situation where they don’t have food, they don’t have the comforts that of their home, so my job as the member of parliament is to respond.”
“I have toured along the Bull Bay stretch, which is where we have most problems in terms of flooding in the constituency. So everything is okay at Seven Mile, Eight Mile, the bridge and the water is running through that gully, it looked good.”
Juliet Holness, member of parliament for East Rural St Andrew
The 22 individuals, comprised of 11 adults, 10 children and a baby, vacated their homes, which are in the Bull Bay area of the constituency that is prone to flooding when there is persistent rainfall.
In November, residents in Weise Road were severely affected as the Chalky River overflowed its banks and left silt in several homes when it receded.
On Sunday, Holness toured several communities in the area to ascertain the problems created by the rain. She believes the damage done was minimal, as she stated that the downpour was limited in the hilly section of the constituency, where the water normally comes from.
“I have toured along the Bull Bay stretch, which is where we have most problems in terms of flooding in the constituency. So everything is okay at Seven Mile, Eight Mile, the bridge and the water is running through that gully, it looked good,” Holness said.
“We didn’t have a lot of rain in the hills, which is usually the concern, so we usually get a lot of rain in the hills, which causes landslides, land slippage and a lot of flooding, because all the water comes down from the hill into Bull Bay. So we get it on both ends.
“This time around, we have not had a lot of rain in the hills. No reports so far of any major landslides, so we are thanking God for that,” she continued.
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