MANCHESTER, Jamaica — Scores of roads across southern and central parishes have been affected by flooding and landslides following heavy and persistent rain associated with Tropical Storm Ida.

In Manchester, a section of the Winston Jones Highway in the vicinity of Russell Place is now impassable due to a landslide. Motorists are being urged to use the alternative routes through Williamsfield via Royal Flat and Williamsfield via Kendal.

A section of the Porus main road was flooded Thursday night.

“I was stuck at Toll Gate (Clarendon) for more than three hours and when I reached Porus is basically river me drive through,” a motorist who travelled from Kingston to Mandeville told OBSERVER ONLINE.

Acting Disaster Coordinator for Manchester, Keval Lewis said at least one household in Trinity (Porus) and some residents in the Alligator Pond area were forced to evacuate their home late Thursday night.

“I haven't [received] any reports of any shelters being open as yet. I know some people have left their homes in Trinity and in the Alligator Pond area… Most people went to stay with family,” he said.

The National Works Agency (NWA) in an advisory on Friday morning said the Christiana to Devon main road and the Top Silent Hill to Christiana road were blocked.

Disaster Coordinator for St Elizabeth, Ornella Lewis said no shelters were activated in the parish. She disclosed that there were reports that the Windsor bridge in Siloah was impassable and a section of the Fyffes Pen main road was flooded (near Brompton). She also said six houses were damaged in the community of Lititz.

“It is actually six houses. Two of the households were able to do minor repairs to stay inside and the other four stayed with relatives,” Lewis said.

According to the NWA, the road from Laughton Town to Lorimers in St Ann has been blocked by landslides and the Cave Valley community has been left flooded.

The agency also said the main road from Stettin to Highgate Hall in Trelawny is blocked and landslides are impacting the Wait-A-Bit corridor. The alternative road is through Joe Hut.

Kasey Williams