Elderly resident begs for help to alleviate persistent flooding

An elderly Clapham, St Michael woman is at her wits’ end with what she described as the perpetual overflow of a storm drain that is causing constant flooding on her property.

And with Barbados in the midst of the hurricane season and recording high levels of rainfall in recent weeks, 73-year-old Stephanie Ward is pleading for help.

She told Barbados TODAY the problem has been ongoing for almost half a century, despite her complaints and those of her mother before her.

Ward alleged that she had been getting the “runaround” and was “sick and tired” of the persistent excuses and failure by the Drainage Division to fix the problem.

“This has been 43 years in the making as well as the years my mother was living in this house. Why must I put up with this? The [Drainage Division] gave me some cock and bull story…. Their job should be to come and deal with this and clean the well when the time comes,” she complained.

During recent heavy rains, an attempt to visit Ward’s house had to be abandoned due to water pooling at the entrance of her home and flowing into her driveway.

“This is how out here is every time it rains and it takes a whole half day to clear up. I work from home now and when my customers have to come here, they are greeted by this sight or an influx of mosquitoes buzzing around,” she lamented.

“When the rain comes, it is like a swimming pool. The nasty water comes into my yard and brings in debris and dog faeces. Why should I have to be cleaning dog faeces off my property when I don’t even have a dog?”

The frustrated Ward said she had sent correspondence to everyone she could think of in an attempt to get help, but up to now she has received no relief.

She noted that several years ago, her now deceased mother had speed humps erected as it was suggested that could solve the problem. However, that did not help either.

Now, Ward wants officials to replace the culvert covers with grills as she believes this will allow rainwater runoff to drain faster.

“The drain they have in Quayside [Centre] has a grill on top and something like with a kind of netting so the water can drain is what is needed out here. I am sick and tired of the excuses after excuses and they are being paid by us, the taxpayers, to do their job,” she insisted.

“This issue has had me very unhappy and I am hoping that with telling you . . . I would be able to have this issue sorted out,” Ward added.

Efforts to get a comment from officials have so far been unsuccessful. (KC)