It is costing an estimated $360 million in Jamaica to clear roads that were flooded and blocked by trees and other debris as a result of rains associated with Tropical Storm Ian, which pelted the island between Saturday and Monday.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who made the disclosure in a statement to Parliament on Wednesday, said this figure represents very preliminary estimates to “reopen roads and make surfaces driveable”.
“It might increase a little bit more, but thankfully it is not in the billions; the cost of permanent repairs are being assessed and over the next two weeks I will update Parliament as to what those will be,” he said.
“Certainly, for the repair of retaining walls that have been destroyed those costs might be a little bit more, but, again, we are not expecting to see a billion-dollar bill for repairs,” he said in reference to the usually high figure to repair damage resulting from extreme weather conditions in Jamaica.
According to the prime minister, based on the cost outlined, it is not expected that there will be any significant new budget allocations for the repairs. “So the National Works Agency [NWA] would have to look in its budget to see how these repairs can be addressed,” he said.
In the meantime, Holness said the NWA has reported that parishes hardest hit were St Catherine and Clarendon, however, Kingston and St Andrew, St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Trelawny, and Portland were also significantly impacted by the system.
Many areas were flooded while others experienced landslides, fallen trees, and scoured road surfaces, while the rains left some communities marooned, especially those in low-lying and flood-prone areas along the southern coast.
Holness said that in the aftermath of the flooding rain, the NWA mobilized equipment and personnel to clear blocked roads and restore access to communities. He said the agency is now undertaking a rapid assessment to determine the full extent of the impact of the rains as well as to enable the determination of additional remedial measures.
“Primary consideration has been given to those corridors along which first responders, such as the Jamaica Public Service, National Water Commission [NWC], and Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management [ODPEM], would be required to use. So those areas have been cleared, and in clearing these areas, this would include the clearing of debris and other materials that would’ve washed on the roads and any landslides,” the prime minister said.
Source-Jamaica Observer
