Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

Turks and Caicos, December 2, 2024 – There was no tropical cyclone but hours of relentless rainfall in the Turks and Caicos on Wednesday November 27 exposed new flood prone zones forcing weather, disaster and public works authorities to issue alerts and warnings.

One to two inches of rainfall was in the forecast, but in waterlogged, low lying areas that meant more like two to three feet of water; a disaster for motorists, pedestrians and home owners, by 3pm Wednesday November 27, a flood warning was issued.

“WHAT…Intermittent rounds of showers and thunderstorms through tonight could result in localized flooding across much of the Turks and Caicos Islands. About 1 to 2 inches is possible for much of the area.  WHERE…Providenciales: Lower Bight, Along Leeward Highway (near Cash N’ Carry, Business Solutions, Do It Center, Caicos Lodge), Downtown, Five Cays, Kew Town, Millennium Highway, Industrial Drive, Long Bay. Middle Caicos: Northern parts of Conch Bar, Bambarra, Lorimers. North Caicos: Kew Settlement, Whitby, Sandy Point, Bottle Creek. Grand Turk: Waterloo, Palm Grove, West Road, Cockburn Town, Back Salina, Overback, North Creek.  South Caicos: Town/The Flats, Airport Road, Old Airport Road.”

The information supplied by the Turks and Caicos Weather Service impacted all major islands and was also distributed by the TCI Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies.

Videos and photos of the accumulation of water in areas of Providenciales were captured and shared on social media.  From a young man caught on camera surfing through the murky rain water to at least one vehicle being covered, almost completely, it was a soggy start to the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend.

“The Public Works Department, within the Office of the Deputy Premier and Ministry of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development wishes to inform the public of ongoing efforts to mitigate the impact of recent heavy rainfall and localised flooding.

Overnight, the department conducted extensive flood-reducing measures in several vulnerable areas to ensure the safety of residents and maintain accessibility to essential roadways and infrastructure. Vulnerable areas currently receiving assistance are Long Bay, Long Bay Hills, and Leeward Palms on Providenciales,” said a Department statement issued on Thursday.

The weather service had warned that the flood alert would remain in effect until Thursday 9 a.m.

“Key measures undertaken overnight includes the installation of drainage wells where PWD crews worked tirelessly to achieve this.  These drainage wells will facilitate water flow and reduce flooding. Additionally, stationary pumps were active and mobile pumps deployed to flood-prone areas to divert accumulated water and prevent overflow.”

For those experiencing the inundation due to the rain event, there was exasperation.  Years of flooding in the same areas, with often identical remedies being reported generated calls for adequate drainage to be installed.  Some saying, the idea of wells was not working

Damage to homes and other properties including farms has not yet been made available, but there was concern for recent road repairs.

The Public Works Department assured residents that there was active response, assessment to determine if there were new flood areas and deployment of resources to clear roadways and neighbourhoods of water.