Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

Traffic interrupted due to flash flooding at Johnson’s Ghut

Heavy rains yesterday afternoon, May 11, 2013 made traffic inaccessible in the Johnson’s Ghut area for more than an hour due to flooding that resulted. Photo: VINO
A team from the Department of Public Works was soon on the scene to assess the flooding and to re-fit the metal cover that was displaced due to the force of the water coming through Johnson's Ghut. Photo: VINO
A team from the Department of Public Works was soon on the scene to assess the flooding and to re-fit the metal cover that was displaced due to the force of the water coming through Johnson's Ghut. Photo: VINO
The Director of Public Works Department, Jeffrey Skelton (centre), was also in Purcell assessing the situation but declined to comment to Virgin Islands News Online when approached. Photo: VINO/File
The Director of Public Works Department, Jeffrey Skelton (centre), was also in Purcell assessing the situation but declined to comment to Virgin Islands News Online when approached. Photo: VINO/File
PURCELL, Tortola, VI- Heavy rains yesterday afternoon, May 11, 2013 made traffic inaccessible in the Johnson’s Ghut area for more than an hour due to flash flooding that resulted.

Persons were forced to access the Purcell area via other routes as the water pressure under the ghut also forced out one of the metal covers on the road.

Luckily for persons in direct proximity to the ghut, however, the water receded as quickly as it had built up.

A team from the Department of Public Works was soon on the scene to assess the flooding and to re-fit the metal cover that was displaced.

The Director of Public Works Department, Jeffrey Skelton, was also in Purcell assessing the flas flood situation but declined to comment to Virgin Islands News Online when approached.

A few onlookers expressed concern that the ghut continues to flood whenever it rains heavily. “And hurricane season coming,” one man commented.

Efforts to reach the Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Mark H. Vanterpool and Sixth District Representative Alvera Maduro-Caines were not successful up to post time.

25 Responses to “Traffic interrupted due to flash flooding at Johnson’s Ghut”

  • compadre (12/05/2013, 10:02) Like (1) Dislike (3) Reply
    Tek tha foh bein ungratefol.
    • mercy less (13/05/2013, 08:26) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      thank god we get rid of some of the mosquito and green water that settle in the ghut
  • critic (12/05/2013, 10:04) Like (4) Dislike (5) Reply
    Jeffery its saturday..take off that tie and get those ghuts cleaned more often.
  • ooooo (12/05/2013, 10:09) Like (1) Dislike (27) Reply
    if the ndp had continued/completed omar's project, this would've never happened
    • .. (12/05/2013, 10:27) Like (9) Dislike (1) Reply
      Actually, they did! You clown. Omar was too far with the project for them to it change up. Omar was too focused winning election...
    • Mark (12/05/2013, 16:25) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      when some one drown in there then they will do something mark my words
  • wise up (12/05/2013, 10:19) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    I just want to be sure; is this that same area that so much money was spent to correct flooding in that area..What a shame!!!!! Our money spent foolishly( no proper planning )....again, i am just seeking clarification- the very same person responsible for this ghut project is the same former minster responsible for the green house project(both project represents poor planning and wasteful spending of the citizens & residents money)
    • Tiro (12/05/2013, 11:28) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      please devise a plan to correct flooding by stopping the rain and informing PWD of such plan..Green houses are spitefully not commissioned for intended use.
      • wise up (14/05/2013, 00:27) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        Hi Tiro; i am simply saying if you are spending money come up a good solution to fix a matter; not just waste money and still have the same problem!!!!!....only a fool such as you will think that one can stop the rain.....think before we spend !!!!! the green house was a joke project !!!!! all that money gone to santo !!!!!
  • total waste (12/05/2013, 10:25) Like (3) Dislike (8) Reply
    Das the best of skelton, never got nothingbto say. Spineless coward.
    • lost case (12/05/2013, 11:05) Like (3) Dislike (14) Reply
      I totally agree, skelton is a spineless public works joker, who cant take anything serious. So glad my family member escape that demonic place. Vip, when we vote you back in, shut it down or do your best and search for someone who is competent. Competency has yet to grace the entrance of that establishment for the past decade.
  • Tek da (12/05/2013, 10:29) Like (3) Dislike (8) Reply
    Wid all da money npd spend on johnson ghut and critizing vip, I coulda swear dem had tings taken care of.
  • b.v.i (12/05/2013, 11:51) Like (0) Dislike (31) Reply
    they will not comment because they do not like the news site all they are doing is spending tax payers money and not doing a thing for the b.v.i. vino you are doing a good job.
  • Question I Ask?!! (12/05/2013, 12:06) Like (0) Dislike (12) Reply
    Is the ghut being maintained the way it should be? Hope the answer is not yes because this lie is not worth spending eternity in hell. Thank you Omar because it would be ten times worse without the work you did.
    • DarkVader (13/05/2013, 09:36) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      That ghut was just cleared last month. The road was closed so we had to take the other way around. The design just cannot work. I remember Maduro speaking against this project design but The Minister over-ride her and continued because he felt it was too much money spent already. Oh well...
  • voter (12/05/2013, 16:26) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    blame the VIP not the NDP they just got dey
  • E. Leonard (12/05/2013, 17:18) Like (1) Dislike (53) Reply
    Without evidence of the contributing cause(s) of the flooding, it would be mere speculation as to what cause the flooding. Nonetheless, the flooding in the area is chronic, a nuisance, posed threat to property, and affects the quality of life of area residents. Some potential causes of the flooding can be natural and man-made: tidal cycle, intensity and duration of the rain (design storm), terrain, trash and debris blockages, collection and conveyance system size. impervious cover, poor maintennace.

    When rain falls, the portion that is not trap by vegetation or infiltrate into the ground becomes runoff; runoff is the portion that is collected and conveyed out to sea. Typically, a system is designed, constructed and maintained to collect and safely convey the runof from a design storm (100, 50, 25, 10, 5-year). And any storm that is larger than the designed storm will result in flooding. Additionally, undersizing of pipes, culverts, bridges and ghuts to carry the design storm will also result in flooding. Poor maintenance can also contributing to flooding; branches, wood, garbage and other debris in the conveyance system can rerstrict flow and cause overtopping of the system and cause flooding. Futher the system must be designewd to avoid peak flows in various segments of the system occur at the time.

    It is niether economical nor practical to design a system to carry every possible design storm. But normally systems are designed to carry the more frequent storms, ie, 5 10, 25, or 100-year. 500-year storms are rare so it would not be economical to built infrastructure to carry such a storm. In any event, whatever system is designed must carry the runoff from the contributing area safety and effectively. For example, a 100-year system must if properly constructed and maintained carry a 100-year storm without surcharging and flooding neighborhoods and business areas.

    A common cause of flooding result from clogged systems as result of debris and thrash. Consequently, there must be a proactive and comprehensive maintenance programme in place to provide routine preventative maintenance inspection(PMI). Moreover, ghuts and other flood-prone areas in drainage basins should be inspected before a projected heavy rain. Additionally, crews should out as needed during heavy rains ( non tropical system, ie tropical storm/hurricane) to remove blockages, along with monitoring the functioning and effetiveness of the collection and conveyance systems. There are many opportunities during a heavy rain for any segment in the conveyance system to be affected by bottlenecks.
  • ... (13/05/2013, 00:09) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    That Giant Octopus (according to Omar) looks like it cannot be defeated at all....
  • BB Boys (13/05/2013, 09:41) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
    Why VINO looking for the rep of the 6th for? They need to go look for Omar and Mark.. Alvera had them stop the work to get a better plan and Mark let Omar talk him into doing it his way...I saw her in Purcell along with Mark..She good for if it was me as the rep, Mark would have walked that district in the rain himself. The Purcell Community center was under water as well. Water leaking from the roof and through the walls...those poor people who were having dinner there Saturday night had to be pushing out water...waste of public funds. They should have called Hodge & Hodge to push out that water.
  • Engineer (13/05/2013, 09:51) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Poor engineering is the cause of the that problem. VIP went about paving the bottom of the ghuts instead of leaving them natural. That would have help slow the flow. Also, instead of digging down to make the ghut bigger and more accommodating to heavy flow, they raised the ghut in one area, and put in some small tubes to decrease the flow capacity. Walla!! FLOODING IN PURCELL FOREVER! Thanks VIP!
  • local guy (14/05/2013, 00:22) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    why did people build house next to a ghut


Create a comment


Create a comment

Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.