Heavy rain causes flash
flooding in St. Peters
By Alita Singh
ST. PETERS--Just as the school day was coming to an end Tuesday, the streets of Cul de Sac became fast flowing rivers as heavy rain inundated the area, prompting some schools to keep students indoors until the water receded.
The fast-moving muddy run-off water from the surrounding hills gushed down to lower ground, flooding roads and washing down rubble in an hour-long rainstorm accompanied by very loud claps of thunder that started shortly after noon and was restricted to the Cul de Sac basin for the second successive day.
Some students already out of the school were joined by residents who braved pelting rain, flooded sidewalks and roads by walking to their destinations with shoes in hand.
The heavy rain was caused by light winds being unable to push a large build-up of clouds over the hills. This resulted in the clouds “just sitting over the area until it rained,” Meteorologist Fred Capello told The Daily Herald.
More rain is forecast for the coming days, but more flooding like that on Tuesday is not expected, as wind speed should increase, he added.
With no official rain gauge in Cul de Sac, Capello said eyewitness testimony estimated rainfall of 50-75 millimetres. The only official rain gauge is stationed at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) where there was no rain yesterday.
An Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) team that coordinated efforts with the police and the Fire Department reacted quickly and closed off L.B. Scott Road to incoming traffic.
The Fire Department abandoned a training exercise in Mullet Bay and arrived in the area with three fire trucks and two quick response fire vehicles to find water already flowing rapidly and dangerously in some areas. Although heavy, the rain was not as severe as the flash flooding in July 2005 that claimed two lives in Cul de Sac.
Fire trucks were used to barricade the entrances of L.B. Scott Road and South Reward for 20 to 30 minutes until the roads cleared. “We did not close the road longer than necessary,” Commanding Fire Officer Marco Heusdens told this newspaper.
Fire officials said the severity of the flooding had not been visible from the head of L.B. Scott Road and many motorists with sport utility vehicles (SUVs) had attempted to manoeuvre pass the barricades, but they were stopped by police and Fire Department personnel.
Heusdens said residents needed to be conscious of how quickly and drastically the weather changes on the island. He added that the public should avoid dangerous situations. Some motorists, not wanting to believe the severity of the flooding, tried to talk their way pass the barricades by telling officials they were just going to get their children and return.
To facilitate quick drainage of the water and to regulate the level of water in Great Salt Pond and Fresh Pond, the Public Works Department opened the channel to the ocean next to Great Bay Beach Resort and turned on water pumps, Government Information Service (GIS) Head Erno LaBega said.
The EOC through the information service informed residents via radio about the flooding and urged them to steer clear of Cul de Sac or seek higher ground if they were already in the area.
LaBega commended Fire Chief Winston Salomon for assembling the EOC team and coordinating the Fire Department participation in managing the situation. LaBega also lauded residents who used call-in talk shows or personally called relatives to inform them about the rushing water.
Meanwhile, the island’s early warning system is still not functional. The system purchased by the Island Government consists of loudspeakers to be installed in the districts so pre-recorded messages about natural and other disasters can be quickly disseminated to residents.
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