Flood waters washing over parts BVI!
The BVI has been placed under a flash flood warning as Tropical Storm (TS) Philippe continues to dump heavy rainfall on the territory.
The territory has seen sustained heavy rainfall and high winds since the passage of the tropical storm began to affect the BVI late yesterday afternoon. About three to four inches of rain were recorded overnight, and thunderstorms are expected to continue throughout the day.
According to the 5am weather update from the Department of Disaster Management (DDM), the centre of Tropical Storm Philippe was located near latitude 20.5 North, longitude 65.5 West, several hundred miles north of the BVI.
Philippe is moving toward the northwest near nine mph and a turn toward the north-northwest is forecast later today, followed by a faster motion toward the north on Thursday and Friday, the DDM stated.
Meanwhile, Acting Premier Lorna Smith has encouraged residents to remain cautious as the effects of Philippe continue to impact the territory over the next few hours.
Smith, who is serving in the absence of Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley, assured residents that she has been observing the Tropical Storm carefully over the past few days along with the Governor.
The Acting Premier also shared that the government has been putting measures in place to prepare for the eventuality of any impact locally.
She warned that the territory may see as much as four to eight inches of rain and wind speeds up to 30 miles per hour as Philippe’s long tail passes. The Acting Premier further urged persons to take protective measures.
“While no forecast is a guarantee, let us take this information as a reason to collectively take caution,” Smith said. “Persons in low-lying areas where flooding is common should protect their property.”
Smith further advised that everyone should closely monitor the updates coming from the DDM and said information will be shared through available channels if further action is needed.
The Acting Premier applauded persons who had already reviewed their emergency plans and assembled supplies. She extended special thanks to those who have taken steps to assist their neighbours and villages with clearing waste or other preparedness measures.
While noting that we are currently in the period of the Atlantic Hurricane Season when storms are most likely to form, she urged everyone to do their part to stay informed and be ready.
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WOW and WOW!! Philippe is 85 miles north of St Thomas and forecasting 4-8 inches for the BVI, we aint ready for no hurricane, our infrastructure needs a complete overhauling…where is this government money going???
Such a shame the Government does not recognise hurricane season and clear the guts. Floods that follow are no surprise. Same every year. Clean the guts. Dowt rely on the storms doing it for you.
Saw some of the pictures on Facebook, stay safe everyone.
been flooding in the same locations since 1949 whenever there is a heavy rain. Somethings never change in the crumbling inferiorstructure.
If there is more bad weather to come behind the flooding, if we don’t have a back up plan in place we are so ……..
There goes the highly inflated cleanup contracts.
There are a few clues in the CoI report.
Just part of the storm too not a direct hit and the territory is closed.
Can the Government help out by cleaning the guts and keeping them clean.
There must be a consistent team in place that ensure all drains and ghuts in the country and in every district is cleaned and free from debris
After Irma we still havent learned or dont care
Look at what they did to the pond at Beef island destroyed the ecosystem and block up the pond with no drainage
We boast abot the number of engineers we have
Check out the pond at Josiahs Bay same thing . Sad state of affaits . We will spend more clraning than fixing the problems
Those in power in the BVI have no foresight, no skills, no vision and no desire to improve the territory. We could have been a world-leader with amazing infrastructure to provide a firm platform for future generations. Instead, our money has been stolen and wasted. What person with any common-sense doesn’t replace the High School ASAP after Irma with a quality building to provide for the future educational needs of our children. Instead, we wait almost six years to end up with a rushed job and a building that already has mold and now floods. The negligence and incompetence has reached criminal proportions. Heads must roll.
6 years pass. we learn nothin
The money is going to trips to Guyana, trips to Monaco and trips to our sister, mother, boyfriend credit card bill.
I am beginning to think the same way, do we really have a plan set/in place in the event the flooding is leading up to something else/worse to come? Water is running everywhere.
When we say that presently we would have been better under Britain direct rule, you all want to get upset. Look the ignorance our govt doing. Little or No preparation, little 1 1/2″ of Rain and look. The best they do is travel here there and every where free on the back of tax payers. We Talk, we complain. We get ignored.
Unprepared(as usual). Just a matter of time before the blame game resumes.
If only we would (start to) prioritise. All those ‘official’ trips that we never get reports about and our infrastructure is once again placed on the back burner.
Laughingstocks – all of us.
SUCH A SHAME PEOPLE ARE SO FLIPPING NASTY AND WONT STOP THROWING GARBAGE ANYWHERE THEY FEEL LIKE AND WONT KEEP THEIR PROPERTY CLEAR OF NASTINESS THAT WASHES INTO THE GUTS
maybe if you dirty garbage throwing idiots on Tortola didn’t through stuff in the ghuts they wouldnt need cleaning out, its always the governments problem, time you started picking up after yourselves.
the territory is closed because Tortola is closed, the other islands can weather the storms but due to bad planning and garbage being thrown away Tortola floods every time.
All the places that flooded are areas where so called development have taken place the Free Bottom Purcell Pasea and Wichams Cay Road Town areas this goes to prove that we cannot improve on nature but we must interfere to give certain people control to the detriment of everyone else. We can criticize until judgement day but we have created problems that we will have to live with remember that all the areas that have flooded were ocean that we reclaimed. The damage is already done and talking about the gworment this and the gworment that will change nothing.
I support no political party but I must say that some of you wrongfully complain about everything. Show me a government in the world who could have stop this from happening? Even USVI, Barbados, New York, Canada, have their hands full with major floods and storms. You can’t blame a government for natural disasters. Give them a chance to clear the roads and get things back to normalcy. SMDH.
The planning people are to be blame for most of this flooding. People are allowed to reclaim the mangroves with no provision for runoff water. It happened at Purcell, It happened at Pasea. Its happening at Heavers. Unless planning enforced the provision for runoff water in these reclaim areas flooding will continue whenever it rains.
Only you know best. Would you be more happy if they pay in rupees or peso?
You have the price on cans and debris?