The Tribune

This video, which was circulating on social media, shows the extent of the flooding on Harbour Island.

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

A CLUSTER of severe thunderstorms caused massive flooding in Harbour Island and areas of North Eleuthera on Tuesday, dumping almost 6.7 inches of water in eight hours and leaving some homes underwater.

According to a government statement, a team consisting of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), headed by Captain Stephen Russell, the Department of Social Services, the Ministry of Works and Urban Development, the Ministry of the Environment and Housing and the Labour Department was dispatched yesterday to assess the damage.

Initial reports indicate that seven homes in Harbour Island were flooded and in Upper Bogue, North Eleuthera, two homes are said to be underwater.

The statement said the Department of Social Services is assisting those families. There was also minor flooding in Abaco, but no severe damage.

Department of Meteorology officials have warned that Cat Island can “expect the same type of weather and flooding as Eleuthera” today and tomorrow.

Jolton Johnson, North Eleuthera administrator, said the storm was so “terrible” it caused huge sink holes in parts of Harbour Island, caused sewers to overflow and also forced the closure of North Eleuthera Airport in mainland Eleuthera for two days.

“We have lots of flooding in Eleuthera. So much that we had to close the airport in North Eleuthera because of the flooding. There was also flooding on the southern and northern side of the Glass Window Bridge so that was closed off as well,” he said.

“In Harbour Island, Alice Street and a place we call The Narrows got severe damage. The water on Alice Street is about five feet and the water table has also been compromised because sewerage and waste is now leaking into the water. So we are asking residents to stay out of the water and to boil whatever water they have to use.

“But that is also difficult because water is about three feet high is some persons’ homes. We have couches and tables floating in the streets and cars are also almost completely submerged. The island is also still without electricity because we have had to turn the power off because of the severe thunder and lightning.

“We used a volunteer fire truck to pump some of the water from the streets and that has been helpful but it obviously is not enough. In addition to the flooding, we have some sink holes in The Narrows, which forced us to close that road because of the soil erosion.”

Michael Stubbs, chief climatological officer at the Department of Meteorology, said other Family Islands should brace themselves for similar bad weather over the next day or two.

“They will get some bad weather in Cat Island and the Exuma Cays, but Cat Island will get the brunt of it,” he said. “This system is moving slowly and it is just a huge area of unsettled weather. It is producing quite a bit of energy and dumped a lot of rainfall. Eleuthera will get some more rain for the next day or two, but Cat Island will probably be flooded as well.”

The system is expected to move out of The Bahamas by the weekend.