NEW RIVER, St Elizabeth — For the third time in 18 months, residents of this rural farming community are battling flood waters.

One family of five has already been forced to move in with relatives, while about seven others are keeping an eye on the rising waters. Derrick Scott, the parish’s largest egg farmer, is also paiding close attention to his chicken coops which were being threatened by large pools of water. And two pig farmers released their hogs, fearful that they would drown in their pens.

The rain and flooding were just another blow to the farming community which has had to battle an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease for the last week. The damp, wet earth is now making it more difficult to fight the disease.

Yesterday, residents called on the authorities to implement recommendations they made a year ago when flood waters threatened their livelihood.

“The residents are now saying the National Irrigation Commission, the National Water Resources Authority and the National Environmental Protection Agency need to look into the situation,” said Kingsley Clarke, president of the St Elizabeth Agricultural Society. “We met with a number of agencies last year and nothing came of it.”

Their recommendations then, he said, had included a request for either the fixing or removal of the NWC’s defective pumping station.

“It does not work now and the water pools up there and overflows with heavy rain. We are on the lower level and the water flows into us,” Clarke said.

Residents had also asked for repairs to the Brighton to New River Road.

“We need that road to be made passable so that if there is flooding we can use it to move in and out of Santa Cruz freely,” Clarke said.

According to Yvonne Morrison, the parish’s disaster preparedness co-ordinator, several roads had been affected by the heavy rains that have lashed the parish over the last two weeks.

“The Luana to Black River road in the vicinity of Luana Pride Housing Development, as well as the Middle Quarters road in the vicinity of Charlie Gallant Corner are flooded, while flood waters have washed mud and silt, which have partially blocked the Lacovia to Burnt Savannah road in the vicinity of Cashoo,” Morrison told the Observer.

There were also reports that flooding occurring along the Siloah to Williamsfield road in the vicinity of Windsor Bridge.

“Managers of emergency shelters that are in, or close to, areas threatened with flooding have been placed on alert to have the shelters in operation should the need arise,” Morrison said.

In the meantime, she has warned persons in flood-prone areas to be on the alert to evacuate their homes, if necessary.

During last year’s flood rains more than 100 persons from New River and New Market had to evacuate their homes. Many of those who were affected said they are yet to fully recover from the effects of last year’s flood rains.