‘More disruption ahead’ after record floods in multiple districts

The island remains on alert after extreme rainfall on Sunday unleashed widespread flooding, where more than nine inches (228.6 mm) of rain fell in just 24 hours, leaving communities in several parishes submerged, emergency services stretched to their limits, and one man swept away by floodwaters to his death.

And Barbados is not in the clear just yet, according to the Deputy Director of the Barbados Meteorological Services Brian Murray.

“As far as the beginning of the week is concerned, these unstable weather conditions are expected to persist with sporadic moderate to heavy showers from time to time, which may trigger the issuing of a flash flood watch or warning at short notice,” he said.

There is some relief expected toward the end of the week, however. Murray said: “Model data is indicating an improvement in the weather conditions across Barbados from Friday.”

The meteorologist explained that a combination of weather systems created near-perfect conditions for prolonged heavy rains.

He told Barbados TODAY that the island’s weather was triggered by “a surface to low-level trough, which was enhanced by a favourable upper-level environment.” This combination, he said, fuelled “cloudy to overcast skies with moderate to heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms,” particularly across the northern parishes during the morning and early afternoon.

The initial downpour forced the Met Office to issue a flash flood warning for the northern parishes, while the rest of the island remained under a watch. But conditions quickly deteriorated.

“As the day progressed, these showers eventually spread to the entire island during the evening period, of which a flash flood warning was issued for the entire island,” Murray said.

As the night wore on, roads in multiple parishes were completely submerged, drainage systems were overwhelmed, and emergency services were grappling with calls for assistance as water levels rose rapidly.

(SB)