Heavy rainfall has once again brought major disruption to some communities, leaving residents frustrated, worried and calling for urgent Government intervention. With waterlogged roads and overflowing drains turning neighbourhoods into virtual swimming pools, many long-suffering citizens say enough is enough.
From Flamboyant Avenue in Sunset Crest, St James, to Murphy’s Pasture and Constitution Road in St Michael, some of the scenes were similar – murky flood waters inundating roads, seeping into homes and choking off access.
For Joseph Jordan, a businessman and long-time resident of Flamboyant Avenue, the flooding has become a predictable disaster.
“Every two to three years there’s a case of extreme flooding,” Jordan said last Thursday, hours after a flash-flood warning was discontinued by the Barbados Meteorological Service. “I’ve been living here since 1985 and this has always been a disruptive issue. In 2004, the water got so high it came through the living room window and into my house. It even damaged my vehicle parked outside.”
Last week’s downpours brought more of the same, with water levels reaching past his ankles. For Jordan, the root of the issue is clear – a lack of adequate drainage.
“My plan many years ago was to put in a proper drainage system because we don’t have any. This was just a road that was done with no sort of drainage,” he said, pointing to the soggy street outside his home.
“My idea was to put a sidewalk where you have the drainage underneath, and you tap it – then water wouldn’t settle on the road,” he added.
Jordan said he even offered part of his own land to the Government to help address the flooding but was met with resistance.
“There’s a passage I used to clean years ago and it needed widening. I told the Government people, ‘This is my land; you have my permission to widen it.’ If you make it six feet wide, raise it and tap it, water can run through to the Greenbelt, to the Swale, and out to the sea. But they didn’t want to hear about any of that.”
In Murphy’s Pasture, St Michael, two residents, who requested anonymity, said flooding remained a persistent nightmare. Though a dam installed by Government in recent years has helped somewhat, it’s still a fragile fix.
“Whenever the water overflows from the dam, it does come down in the neighbourhood and you could swim in here or even drown,” said one resident, who has lived in the area for more than 40 years.
Outside their home, puddles lingered from the previous day’s rainfall, while the dam itself brimmed with stagnant water, a breeding ground for mosquito larvae, flies and other pests.
“The officials came and inspected but nothing was done,” the resident added. “All we get is lip service.”
A family friend, visibly upset by the situation, called for decisive action.
“It’s about time they come and do something. It’s been too long. They need to move these people from here. A dam is a waste of time. They don’t need this. It’s time the Government looked for somewhere proper for these people to live.”
Not all communities were as severely impacted by flooding. In Ellis Village, Halls Road, St Michael, a woman who also requested anonymity, said while mosquitoes were always an issue, flooding was not a major concern lately.
“The water usually goes down into the canal on the other side,” she explained.
A man who works at a local shop nearby agreed, crediting improvements to the canal with minimising water build-up.
“It used to be real bad. You couldn’t get in or get out because it used to be flooded out but since the canal was fixed, it’s not as bad. The rain still affects business, though, just like everywhere else.”
Two months into this year’s hurricane season, residents of Bridgetown and its environs say they are hoping for more than just temporary fixes. With the growing impact of climate change and urban development outpacing infrastructure upgrades, some residents said it was time for a comprehensive flood mitigation plan.
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