Residents of Liberty Valley in Brown’s Town, St Ann, are often trapped in their homes or forced to brave flooded streets whenever it rains.

According to the residents, it does not have to rain for an extended period for the community to become flooded. They say this has been a long-standing problem in the area for years; however, not much has been done to address the stiuation.

The residents are not only concerned about their inability to move around freely, but the health risks associated in light of the various mosquito-borne viruses.

“With the Zika virus, it is really a health threat to us around here,” one concerned resident Adrian Pinnock told the

Jamaica Observer North East.

He said attempts have been made to construct a soak-away pit; however this has not been effective.

“From time to time dem dig out the hole, pack it up with stone when election coming and after that nothing,” he said, adding, “it’s not a soakaway we need around here; we need a proper drain so that when the rain start to fall it can run away.”

“We really fed up of it because when the rain fall we can’t go about our business,” he continued.

Another resident, Douglas Thomas said the problem has been affecting the community for many years.

“Me come round here come live 1983 and from me come here water in the road when rain fall; nobody can’t cross,” he said, noting that it is time that the issue be addressed.

“ Nobody no business wid we dem come and dem dig it last year say dem ago fix it,” he said. He explained that they however stopped due to rains; however the man said after the rains no one returned.

One resident has built a walkway for residents to use along the flooded roadways, but even this becomes flooded at times.

The man who identified himself as Andy said he built the concrete walkway from his own resources, particularly for students who he did not want to have to miss school.

One resident theorised that the continued flooding was as a result of the increase number of houses built in the the community over the years. He said some of the lands used for housing would have provided natural drainage. The road, he further explained was not built with drains and there is now a need for drains to take the water out of the community.

The residents say they are calling on the relevant authority to address their concerns soon.