Flood water washes cop off bike

Sections of Jamaica have started experiencing the impact of Hurricane Matthew as the system resumes its northwest motion towards the island as a "slightly strengthened" Category Four system.

Head of the St Andrew South police, Superintendent Authur Brown, told THE STAR that an officer was swept from his bike by heavy floodwaters on Hagley Park Road, St Andrew, yesterday afternoon after a bout of rain. "It was caused by the volume of water that was on the road, but he's fine now," Brown said, noting that some 20 motorists were also left stranded in the location as the water rose as high as their bonnets. The water subsided after half an hour," Brown said.

There was similar flooding in other sections of the Corporate Area. Communications Manager at the National Works Agency Stephen Shaw said he got reports of flooding in Three Miles, Marcus Garvey Drive, Half-Way Tree, Balmoral Avenue and Waltham Park Road. He said sections of Portmore, St Catherine, also experienced flooding.

"The problem resulted from the drains being overwhelmed by the volume of water that came with the rains. Our teams have since gone out and addressed the affected areas," he said, while urging Jamaicans to continue monitoring the system and take the necessary precautions.