THE Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is reporting incidents of flood-related damage and hazards across Jamaica with roads blocked or made impassable, bridges collapsed and persons trapped by the rising waters:

Roads and Infrastructure:

Kingston and St Andrew

• August Town, Bedward Garden and Goldsmith Villas homes have been flooded;

• August Town Bridge has collapsed;

• Red Hills and Sterling Castle homes have been flooded and it is reported two persons are trapped within their home;

• Harbour View Bridge has collapsed;

• Marcus Garvey Drive flooded;

• Saddlers Avenue and Lanston Road of Mountain View has been flooded;

• South Monterey Drive of Hope Pastures flooded;

• Kyntire Close in Papine has flooded;

• Don Head Avenue in Liguanea has reported flooding;

• Barbican Road in the vicinity of Burger King reported house has been washed away with a child (age and sex not reported).

Spanish Town

• Thompson Pen homes have been flooded;

• Bridge joining the communities of Simon District and Tradegar Park has collapsed.

St Catherine

• The Bog Walk Gorge is closed;

• Sunnyside Linstead flooding reported;

• Serenity Park, between Spring Village and Nightingale Grove, the gully is reportedly overflowing.

Clarendon

• Four Paths flooded;

• Portland Cottage flooded.

St Elizabeth

• Burnt Savannah blocked;

• Fullerswood main road is inundated.

St Mary

• Junction road is blocked it is reported that persons are trapped in a car in the vicinity of Castleton.

Westmoreland

• Savanna La Mar, four homes have been reportedly damaged;

• Savanna La Mar Cooperative Credit Union and the Savanna La Mar Baptist Church has been damaged.

The public is advised to continue monitoring the radio for further advisories and to avoid areas that are at risk from flooding and landslides. Also take the following precautions in the event of heavy rains:

2. Be ready to evacuate if you live in low-lying or flood-prone areas. Decide on likely evacuation routes now.
3. Avoid flooded waterways such as: fording, gullies, streams or rivers, either on foot or in vehicles.

For further updates follow our website jamaicaobserver.com and @jamaicaobserver on Twitter.