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UPDATE: VI weather woes continue, flash flood watch in effect

October 13th, 2018 | Tags:
Floods in the Road Town area, close to the Wickham's Cay Service Station. Photo: Team of Reporters
An estimated 95% of businesses in the heart of Road Town and across Tortola are closed. Photo: Team of Reporters
An estimated 95% of businesses in the heart of Road Town and across Tortola are closed. Photo: Team of Reporters
In its latest alert, the Department of Disaster Management had warned of minor flooding in low lying areas. Photo: Team of Reporters
In its latest alert, the Department of Disaster Management had warned of minor flooding in low lying areas. Photo: Team of Reporters
The DDM says they will continue to monitor weather conditions and provide updates accordingly. Photo: Team of Reporters
The DDM says they will continue to monitor weather conditions and provide updates accordingly. Photo: Team of Reporters
Persons in the territory are being encouraged to download the DDM’s Alert app in the Apple App store or Google Play store to receive updates. Photo: DDM
Persons in the territory are being encouraged to download the DDM’s Alert app in the Apple App store or Google Play store to receive updates. Photo: DDM
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI: A new flash flood watch is being issued by the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) following inclement weather across the Virgin Islands (VI) over the past 24 hours.

According to the statement issued on October 13, 2018, a flash flooding watch means when conditions are favourable for flash flooding in flood-prone areas, usually when grounds are already saturated from recent rains, or when upcoming rains will have the potential to cause a flash flood.

Residents are urged to exercise caution while driving on roads as some areas have experienced flooding of roadways, destabilized hillsides and rock falls.

See previous article published on October 13, 2018

VI weather woes continue with flooding in several areas 

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI: As the world observes International Day for Disaster Reduction 2018, the BVI is experiencing some level of disaster first hand with heavy persistent rainfall forcing businesses closed across the territory.

As a result of the inclement weather over the past 24 hours, an estimated 95% of businesses in the heart of Road Town and across Tortola are closed with extensive flooding in several sections of the Islands.

Persons are being encouraged to take caution and expect more bad weather across the territory. 

Extreme Caution

In its latest alert, the Department of Disaster Management had warned of minor flooding in low lying areas as well as rock falls in areas of steep terrain with a tropical wave forecasted to reach the islands late Sunday into Monday.

As a result of the current flood conditions motorists are being asked to avoid going over the hills until the Public Works Department has completed their inspections. Extreme caution is needed when traversing any public road at this time.

The DDM says they will continue to monitor weather conditions and provide updates accordingly.

Persons in the territory are being encouraged to download the DDM’s Alert app in the Apple App store or Google Play store to receive updates of any hazards affecting the Territory

15 Responses to “UPDATE: VI weather woes continue, flash flood watch in effect”

  • qc (13/10/2018, 11:45) Like (49) Dislike (2) Reply
    BVI always in a mess once it rains
    • Unbelievable! (13/10/2018, 13:41) Like (13) Dislike (0) Reply
      I agree with you qc. But why is this persistently so? I cannot believe that BVI officials cannot find the solution and implement the right actions to minimize this problem. The islands, including Tortola, are small areas of land with the sea all around - it's not that any area is land-locked like countries that are large and surrounded by other countries. Why are not proper passageways built leading from the roads to the sea, and adequately maintained so that the land does not flood as soon as some rain falls?
    • wize up (13/10/2018, 14:41) Like (9) Dislike (2) Reply
      @ QC: those of us among you will tell you this situation been happening from back in the 70s(I recall school days and seeing the purcell ghut back then) however back them we did not have the equipment, we are now in modern times with all manner of high tech stuff and still the same issue: the political folks quick to build beaches and other stuff for the visitors(who spends a few hours in the BVI and return to their home town)
    • Standards (15/10/2018, 10:30) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      Unfortunately, this is nothing new. We have been dealing with these issues for years now and we can't seem to get it together. We have become a patch n go society. What we need is a budget for ongoing road and infrastructure maintenance that we adhere to. There needs to be proper engineering for laying down the asphalt, especially over concrete. Other much larger countries do this, with far more rain than we get, over greater miles. What are they doing that we haven't been able to figure out yet? The ghuts are another situation. Why are they not being maintained on a regular basis? Why do we crisis manage so much, by waiting for the damage to occur and then reacting. We should be more prepared since the rains come the same time every year, and just like hurricanes, we have to be prepared. As far as the dumping in the ghuts of mattresses etc., as part of maintaining our infrastructure, we need to enforce laws here and fine people for littering. We can't just get upset for people not listening and doing what they want. When the BVI starts to enforce litter laws (and most other laws for that matter), and hit people in them pockets, you'll see change for the better. We keep making too many excuses for our mediocrity! Speaking as a BVI islander, we can do much much better than we have been.
  • wize up (13/10/2018, 12:15) Like (12) Dislike (2) Reply
    I personally think some of money being spent under the umbrella of tourism could be spent to upgrade local infrastructure: I understand the value of tourism but when those tourists leave this territory the rest of us who call this place home continues to suffer every time the rain falls for more than 5 minutes: Mr & Mrs Tourist back in their home lands very comfortable while the local business owner suffering lost of revenue and the people can not use the public roads because of flooding: this thing going on for far to long and government after government the issue not being corrected: each person who reside here is just as significant to the territory’s growth as the cruise ship passengers, yet we continue to invest millions on tourism while some those same millions can to used to upgrade the drainage systems...it’s usually the same places over and over so we don’t need any rocket scientist to come here and tell us what is wrong(just saying and who vex will stay vex)
  • Gumption. Official (13/10/2018, 12:15) Like (8) Dislike (3) Reply
    Crooked politicians + Con-tractors= flooding. What’s even worse when it’s hot a dry we don’t see them out there doing anything besides taken garbage like tv, mattress, stoves etc from the over fill guts (water tunnels) etc. some feels the rain and others just get wet (Bob Marley)
  • Making the best of it (13/10/2018, 16:39) Like (8) Dislike (1) Reply
    I'm making the best of it. I'm chillin in my California King bed under the comforter with my Boston Terrier watching my James Bond movie collection.
  • Love for My Country (13/10/2018, 19:02) Like (8) Dislike (4) Reply
    How quick we are to blame politicians for everything that happens in these Virgin Islands! The ghut by the fire station over flowed its bank due to debris that blocked it from running in the right path. Did the politicians throw the debris in the ghut? Think about it seriously! Because of that sections of upper Road Town was flooded.
    • Truth and rights (15/10/2018, 09:07) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      The politicians didn't throw the trash there but they drove pass that way almost everyday so its there cubic duty to get on these departments heads to clean these damn gutters so stuff like this don't keep happening, I lived there for 20years and never saw anything like that in the city of road town I've seen it happen in huntums ghut but they all have to do better they can't allow the natures little secret to becoming like this, that terrible hurricane was enough now this smh
  • Whst!!! (13/10/2018, 21:13) Like (14) Dislike (1) Reply
    Everytine we get heavy rain there are new pot holes in the roads, is no one here capable of fixing roads so they stay fixed???
  • tola (14/10/2018, 07:43) Like (10) Dislike (3) Reply
    Tell ndp keep the guts clear easy solution .
    • WHAT!!! (14/10/2018, 13:04) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
      “tola”. Easy solution , people stop throwing your garbage out so it gets into the ghuts!!!
  • All of you (14/10/2018, 08:12) Like (5) Dislike (6) Reply
    That is here blaming the politiains for this, do me a favor and take your lazy worthless behinds and do it your damn selves.
    • voter (15/10/2018, 10:23) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
      Because those the ones who hire and pay. Therefore they get the blame
  • Debris (14/10/2018, 12:59) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    It don't make sense to just clean a small portion of concrete covered guts. Some areas were cleaned recently and thanks for that. But, the rest of the guts are already packed with debris that makes their way down to where we would eventually see them. I worry about what we can't see. Apart from the nasty people who throw trash in the guts, there are still alot of stuff that blew into them from the hurricane. My admonishion is to lift all the slabs and clean out the entire guts.
    About 2 weeks ago, a few slabs were lifted in front the police station and the amount of muck and mud was incredible. OK so what happens to the drains before and after that spot that are also covered? Common sense


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