WHAT used to be a road leading into the hills of Galloway, Westmoreland has been transformed into a river in the aftermath of Tropical Storms Isodore and Lili which dumped several inches of rain on the parish.

And although the rains stopped three weeks ago, some people who live near the road still have a hard time accessing their homes.

In addition, area residents have been left with the mammoth task of clearing the road of boulders and debris to ensure that the water flows freely and that some sections are left dry enough for pedestrian traffic.

The work is going slowly.

Rupert Baker, a resident who is spearheading the cleaning process, told the Observer that this is the worst flooding he has seen in the area since June 1979 when several sections of the island experienced flooding.

“The water is coming from a section up the hill called Ancho and, normally the sink holes take away the water but this time the water is too much and the sink holes can’t manage it,” Baker said.

According to Baker, the problem can only be solved using one method. “You will have to cut a big drain about four feet by four feet beside the road, nothing less; and send the water under the road by means of a bridge and lead it off on the other side into some other drains which are already there,” he insisted.