WESTERN BUREAU – At least one family is now in shelter at the Santa Cruz Community Centre in St Elizabeth as the heavy rains that have been affecting the parish since Saturday continued to lash the area yesterday.

Disaster preparedness co-ordinator for the parish Yvonne Morrison told the Observer late yesterday that a family of eight was instructed to go to the shelter following the flooding of their home on Saturday.

“During the heavy rains, the family lost almost everything and as the rains continue today (yesterday) we asked them to go to the shelter,” Morrison said.

The heavy flood waters on Saturday caused the road in the vicinity of the transport centre in Santa Cruz to split while sections of the Santa Cruz main road were badly damaged. The Black River to Santa Cruz road was inundated while sections of Holland Bamboo and Middle Quarters were impassable.

The rains, which lasted about two hours, also left hundreds of commuters in Santa Cruz and Black River stranded.

There were also reports that the Baptist and Luana roads in Black River were inundated and could only be accessed by heavy duty vehicles.

Yesterday, following a tour of the affected areas by a team including representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the Poor Relief Department, Morrison said at least three of the affected families were being assisted by the Red Cross.

“The Red Cross is providing the families with food, mattresses, clothing and personal items,” she said.

She added that the National Works Agency (NWA) had worked assiduously between Saturday evening and Sunday night to clear the blocked roads, but she expressed fear that sections of the roads might again be blocked as a result of yesterday’s heavy rains.

“Right now the rain is coming down heavily so some of the roads might again be blocked and flooded, especially those in the New River area,” said Morrison.