Still from a video showing flooding in Exuma.
By JADE RUSSELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
RESIDENTS in Exuma suffered “severe flooding” over the weekend, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper said yesterday, adding a Royal Navy vessel has been called in to help pump out water from affected areas.
The island experienced knee-high floods gushing through the streets, roads cut off, and cars submerged under muddy water. While some residents were stuck in their homes as gallons of rainfall arose at their doorstep.
Mr Cooper, Exuma and Ragged Island MP, assured residents that help is on the way to assist with the massive flooding across Exuma.
“As you would be aware, we have experienced a significant amount of rain over the past few days that has caused severe flooding all across the mainland,” Mr Cooper said in a statement.
“I’ve spoken with the Minister of Works, the Minister for Local Government, the Island Administrator, the Chief Councillor, RBDF, WSC, NEMA, and the roads contractor to ensure support and collaboration. I thank them all for their cooperation.”
“The HMBS Lawrence Major has been dispatched to Exuma to bring as many pumps as can be found to pump out as much water as possible away from the pooled areas. We are also engaging heavy equipment to create run-offs.”
Videos have shown residents driving through deep passages of water, praying their cars would not stall in the flooded areas. One woman screamed in a video posted: “Please don’t come on the road if you don’t have to.”
Mr Cooper cautioned residents to be careful when navigating the roads.
“It is extremely difficult to gauge the depth of the water and where the edges of the road are,” Mr Cooper said. “Please be careful. Stay put as much as possible and only travel when necessary.”
He added a team of professional engineers is expected to assess the situation on the island today and to develop plans to mitigate for the future. Mr Cooper said he will continue to monitor the matter.
Although many residents were affected by the heavy flooding one resident in the western part of Exuma said there had been mostly rain in his area but no major flooding.
The resident said: “Where I live in my part, I haven’t experienced it.”
Last week, Donald Rolle, the Family Island administrator for Georgetown, Exuma, said torrential rain brought the community’s prolonged drainage issues to the fore. Mr Rolle explained the rain and flooding affected several homes and businesses.
Comments
realitycheck242 10 months, 3 weeks ago
The HMBS Lawrence Major is a Royal Bahamas Defence force ship and not a Royal Navy Vessel ......who proof reads these articles.
ThisIsOurs 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Have you ever heard of a term called "scantilizing"? I read an article last week that spoke of someone's scantilizing performance. I looked it up, couldnt find it, it has a ring to it so I thought it might be a new slang word... dont know. I know about scintillating and scandalizing... I'm asking in all honesty the word use threw me for a loop. Maybe it's a thing "the young people" say
ThisIsOurs 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Still unclear exactly who was affected and why. Schools will open tomorrow in Exuma so the school buildings couldnt have been under water. So who where and why, how much as well
Has to be lake or sea water overflow
ThisIsOurs 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Okay this is distressing:
tripadvisor.com FIFTEEN years ago
"Mr. Kevin "K" Milford, a DJ at the Breeze radio station drowned after his vehicle stalled in the rising flood waters. The rising water merged with a pond and he unknowingly stepped in over his head."
ThisIsOurs 10 months, 3 weeks ago
tripadvisor.com 15 years ago
"family was able to get through to 3 different families in Exuma yesterday. All said that the rain was incredible - 4 days straight of between 12 and 15 inches. This was in addition to 10 inches they'd had just a week or so prior. The ground was just swollen and couldn't handle anymore and this lead to the massive flooding the island experienced. Many people are still relying on busses and trucks to get around. tripadvisor 15 years ago"
ThisIsOurs 10 months, 3 weeks ago
bahamaslocal.com 10 years ago
"On Sunday, June 2, 2013, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, conducted an Initial Damage Assessment exercise of the flooded areas and communities on Exuma, caused by widespread rain with thunderstorm in the Southeast Bahamas. The team, headed by Captain Stephen Russell, Director of NEMA included: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Urban Development the Hon Philip Davis; Dexter Williams, engineer, Ministry of Works and Urban Development..."
ThisIsOurs 10 months, 3 weeks ago
This is sounding more like bad town planning than anything else. Our country is low lying. Many islands are either thin 50ft+ wide stretches in the middle of the ocean or blessed with natural lakes and swamps. Cant do anything about the ocean but construction on swampland within given distances of lakes should not be allowed based on studies that define what sustained heavy rainfall over multipledays would do.
This isnt new, this isnt climate change, this is our island topology merged with bad city planning.15 years later and the same people reporting too late to the same disaster. If we could talk to our great grand parents theyd likely tell us the same story from 100 years ago when the area was all swamp so nobody lived there
ThisIsOurs 10 months, 3 weeks ago
multiple news outlets are showing pictures of the exact same location. This says that this area has to be Exuma's Pinewood. An area where noone should have been allowed to construct a home. PM Davis needs to get serious, stop riding on climate change speeches and address town planning and multi generation long flood areas
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