Eastern Jamaica is under a flash flood warning this weekend. The Meteorological Service of Jamaica upgraded the flash flood watch to a flash flood warning for low-lying and flood prone areas of St Mary, Portland, St Thomas, Kingston, and St Andrew, as reported by Radio Jamaica and the Jamaica Observer.

The flash flood watch remained in place for other parishes including St Ann, St Catherine, and Clarendon, as reported by Television Jamaica. The Gleaner reported that eight parishes were on alert as the rains triggered landslides and flooding.

St Thomas takes the hardest hit

In St Thomas, heavy rain on Friday left roads blocked and communities cut off. A landslide near Johnson Mountain Primary School left students and teachers marooned for a while, East St Thomas Member of Parliament Yvonne Rose-Marie Shaw said, as reported by the Jamaica Inquirer from IRIE FM reporting on October 23.

Ms Shaw said the students and teachers were later able to leave. She named Bath, Wilmington, and Sunning Hill among the impacted communities, and said residents of Port Morant were worried as the Swamp Road area flooded.

54 homes flooded, 13 people in shelter

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has mobilised support for residents of Bath, as reported by the Jamaica Inquirer on October 24. Preliminary reports indicate that 54 homes were flooded in the Bath community, including Johnson Mountain.

Thirteen people were being accommodated at the shelter at Bath Primary School. Portfolio Minister Pearnel Charles Jr said ministry representatives are distributing supplies such as food and tarpaulins to affected residents, with support also going to senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

What residents should watch now

A warning means flooding is already happening or is expected soon in the named areas, which is a step above a watch. With rain continuing into Sunday, low-lying and flood prone communities in the eastern parishes remain the concern, along with landslide prone roads.

Nation will update this story as the Meteorological Service, the Labour Ministry, and parish officials publish new figures and advisories.

Photo credit: Relief supplies photo via IRIE FM and the Jamaica Inquirer. Floodwater photo by Aldward Castillo, via IRIE FM and the Jamaica Inquirer.