PORTLAND — Preliminary estimates of the cost of repairing the damage done to Portland roads during last weekend’s flood rains has been placed at about $40 million.

The Parish Council has already allocated $500,000 to clear the roads for which it has responsibility and another $35 million will be needed [DEMO]e rehabilitation of other parochial roads and the cleaning of drains.

Up to Tuesday afternoon, most of the affected roads had been cleared of debris and could accommodate at least single lane traffic.

Meanwhile, the National Works Agency has supplied an initial estimate of $4.5 million to clear main roads for at least single lane traffic, even as they continue to compile a more comprehensive estimate.

The National Water Commission has not yet completed its estimate of the damage done to its water supply systems but there are indications that this may run into millions of dollars. However, water has been restored to most communities whose supply had been affected by the flooding, as an electrical problem at Grants Level has been corrected and it was expected that broken pipes at John Town Road would have been dealt with yesterday.

During the heavy rains which lashed sections of the island from Friday to Sunday, four Portland houses were completely ruined and seven were partially destroyed. Two families are still in shelters, one at Bellevue in the Rio Grande [DEMO] and the other at the Salvation Army in Port Antonio.

Serious damage was done to homes along Nut Hall road leading to the Port Antonio hospital where some sections of the road have been severely damaged.

There was also a large landslide in the Stanton Area of the Rio Grande Valley and the Bag River has changed its course, spilling over onto the Boundbrook Road. This has led to the closure of the Boundbrook Primary School which has had heavy mud and silt lodged at its entrance since Monday.

Member of Parliament, Dr Donald Rhodd, has urged the NWA to speedily begin repairs.

“They should seek equipment from out of the area if they do not have the necessary equipment on hand,” he suggested.