NWA Assessing Vulnerable Communities

The National Works Agency (NWA) has been assessing several vulnerable areas across the island in preparation for Tropical Storm Melissa.

Addressing a special press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister on Wednesday (October 22), Minister Morgan said that among the areas evaluated are McGregor Gully in the Corporate Area.

“We visited McGregor Gully along with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and other representatives of other agencies and we are now using sandbags to assist where there may be a chance of flooding,” he said.

Minister Morgan shared that Shoemaker Gully is also being assessed and the Sandy Gully, where work has begun in the vicinity of Spanish Town Road.

“The challenge of the Sandy Gully is very peculiar. The Sandy Gully is the main drain of Kingston and over the years a lot of silt has developed. The Prime Minister announced in March, in his budget presentation, a significant effort is to be made to do repair work and cleaning of the gully to the tune of several billion dollars,” he pointed out.

He explained that it is a capital expenditure, which does take some time, but in the interim, the Government continues to monitor the Sandy Gully and its tributaries, to see where the vulnerabilities exist.

The Minister noted that a major challenge is the issue of persons living on the gully banks, who are vulnerable during a disaster, noting that a solution will be announced shortly.

He said that the NWA is also monitoring sensitive, low-lying and flood-prone areas in southern Clarendon; southern St. Elizabeth; southern Manchester; Wickie Wackie, St. Thomas; Harbour View, St. Andrew, and several other locations.

The Minister noted that the NWA is preparing for any eventuality, “which means we must try to clean the drains that are critical. We must mobilise and we must stockpile”.

He noted that in the aftermath of the storm, the agency will ensure that first responders are able to access communities, providing at least a single-lane access if there is damage to the road.

“We will have a recovery period where significant work may need to be done to various corridors to ensure that commerce resumes and people can go about their daily lives,” he said.