NEW MARKET, St Elizabeth — On Thursday, Marco Gayle from Big Woods in eastern Westmoreland rode his motorcycle across a shallow but growing pool of water about a half-mile west of here, while on his way to visit a relative.

By mid-morning Saturday, the pool — product of the merging of the Two Sister Ponds located either side of the main road linking New Market to eastern Westmoreland — had grown noticeably larger.

A cautious Gayle, on his way back home, parked his bike close to the water, kicked off his sandals, rolled up his cut-off pants and walked gingerly into the water to “test” the height.

Within a few metres he was shaking his head, the merged Ponds — swollen by heavy rains over recent weeks — had already reached his knee and it was obviously deeper up ahead.

Another motorcyclist appearing on the other side of the water was promptly waved off by Gayle and told to turn back. “It too deep,” Gayle shouted.

The second motorcyclist would have his journey extended by another 10 minutes at least, negotiating narrow, pitted farm roads to get to New Market.

Gayle explained to the Jamaica Observer that even four-wheel vehicles should turn back rather than attempt to negotiate the rising water.

“From it pass knee height a trouble, because if water go inna di muffler or inna di engine, it [vehicle] a go shut off,” he said.

In fact, one New Market resident told the Sunday Observer that a car had stalled in the water Friday night and had to be pulled out by a fire truck.

Howard Hendriks, community relations representative for the National Works Agency (NWA), told the Sunday Observer that based on his own experience, motorists — regardless of vehicle size — should definitely not attempt to cross the merged Two Sister Ponds.

“The water may seem calm but it is rising,” Hendriks said. He warned that if heavy rains of recent weeks continue, the situation is likely to become much worse.

In November 2020, the Two Sister Ponds had also merged, blocking the main road for weeks. Back then, heavy, persistent rains had triggered springs in upland areas around New Market and usually dry water courses, including Hog Hole — located just above the village — became raging streams.

In 2020, the feared flooding of New Market — on the main road linking Middle Quarters in St Elizabeth through mountainous terrain to points north-west, including Montego Bay — did not occur, as the rain subsided.

The fear now is that the hurricane season is at its height and September/October is traditionally known for high levels of rainfall.

Apart from the merging of the Two Sister Ponds, there appeared no sign of a flood threat in and around New Market on Saturday.

With school due to reopen for the September term tomorrow, the good news was that there was no sign of water in the vicinity of Beersheba Primary School. In 2020 the school was badly affected by a large body of water which blocked a section of the road.

But residents readily remember previous disasters, the most recent being the Nicole rains of 2010 when the centre of New Market was cut off, forcing business owners to abandon their shops because of rising water, while motorists had to use back roads.

By far the worst flood disaster to affect New Market in living memory came in 1979 when the entire area became a lake. That experience triggered a decision by the Edward Seaga-led Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Government of the 1980s to relocate the village to what is now known as Lewisville. Complete with high school, police station, post office, health centre, library, planned town centre with market area, and a housing scheme, the new settlement was named in honour of the late Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth North Western Neville Lewis.

However, the road linking St Elizabeth to Montego Bay remained in New Market, and as soon as the waters receded, business operators moved back.

Locals say the 1979 flood is how the Two Sister Ponds got its name, since two sisters drowned there during that disaster.