ÐÓ°ÉÐÔ°É

Residents in several St Thomas communities are now stranded due to landslides and a collapsed road in Windsor Forest, as heavy rain hammered the parish and others of the island on Sunday night. The outer bands of Tropical Storm Laura caused the sustained rainfall, which continued into yesterday.

Zephaniah Slater, whose house is located right above the collapsed road in Windsor Forest, said he was restless all night on Sunday.

The senior citizen, who lives with his ill wife, says his home of more than seven decades is being held up by a boulder.

"Not even Gilbert never do us this bad. Right now mi really worried because if da big rock deh ever move, is right in the gully we gonna go. Can you imagine in the house and hearing the trees a drop and the hillside a tear away? I was so afraid that I didnt even bother to look outside. I didn't sleep," he said.

Jason Williams, who lives in Richmond Gap, two miles away from Windsor Forest, said a recent bush fire along with rain from a previous weather system had contributed to the road's demise. "The fire and the rain before had caused a lot of loose dirt to come down so this landslide was waiting to happen. The road I am standing on is currently undermined so anything can happen right now. The road make properly but it wasn't maintained," he said. In addition to Richmond Gap and Windsor Forest, the residents of Cedar Valley, Mango Row and Bethel Gap are also impacted by the collapsed road. Some motorists who live in the affected areas had very little choice except to sleep in their vehicles along the roadway.

Williams said sand mining has also undermined the Windsor Forest road and pleaded with authorities to be more proactive. Up to press time last night, the communities were still without electricity and telecommunications services were also disrupted.