A damp Christmas in Albouystown but flood receded quickly

Floodwaters have receded from the Albouystown community following Friday’s heavy downpour in the city, with the majority of streets being clear of any accumulation.

Residents agreed that the water had receded within two days’ time and while some streets like James Street were completely dry yesterday, others still had pockets of water that had filled depressions in the roadways.

While some residents complained of the rain dampening their Christmas, and preventing their usual tradition of liming on the streets during the holidays, others noted the speed with which the floodwaters went down.

Cooper Street, Albouystown
A section of Trench Road, Albouystown yesterday

“This is the fastest water ever go down. It ain’t went long like how it does normally be. Normally it would tek like a week or suh before it go down,” a resident of Trench Road, Albouystown noted. “Albouystown ain’t really get flood like before. Everything is alright,” another stated.

“We ain really get fuh go out on the road and suh,” Vanessa, of Hunter Street commented. She related that water had not really receded from her street until Monday and that before she had retired to bed Sunday night, “water was on and off,” she said, speculating that it could have been owing to the high tide.

“Yesterday (Monday) it eased up and we get fuh sit down pon the road and lime and suh,” she added.

On a visit to the area yesterday afternoon, residents were seen cleaning their respective properties. An older woman, Doris Darryl, was one such person. She said the water had retreated between Monday and yesterday and so she was using the opportunity then to clean up.

Another resident, David Smith, of Hunter Street, said he’d had to wash all his mats, which were swamped when water entered his lower flat. He pointed out that the only reason his refrigerator had not been damaged was because it was elevated on a plank placed on the ground inside his house.