Carol Phillip-Tudor
Heavy rain pelted the terrain of St. Kitts-Nevis on the night of Monday 19th. Only the silver fast flashes of lightening and thunder claps dare be louder. One resident joked that the thunder claps were so loud she could see it.
The sudden winds also picked up raking leaves and branches from the tree trees in a stormy night that tried it very best to imitate a hurricane. According to senior meteorologists, Mr. Maurice Mills, a suspected Tropical Wave had passed through the Federation and in a span of twelve hours, 4.17 inches of rain had fallen on St. Kitts-Nevis. The electricity, as soon as the rains began in earnest, had flicked on and off beginning at about 10pm. Shortly thereafter, in a last ditch effort, the entire country was plunged into pitch darkness.
Faulty electrical cables were said to be at fault for the blackout. Rainy waters, according to information made available by Mr. Kevin Bennett of the Electricity Department, had penetrated the electrical cables, which insulation was weakened causing the wires to smoke. Immediate repairs had to be done.
By daylight Tuesday 20th, ample stagnant and running waters were accompanied by debris, sand and mud co-mingling. The Bay Road, Basseterre, bore the strongest evidence of the heavy rains.
The permanent signages on College Street Ghaut have sought to warn motorists, even on dry days that they park their vehicles at their own risks. Some unheeding motorists were met with the unfortunate reality that they would have to manage deep, wet sands in attempts to retrieve their vehicles from among uprooted tall grasses and trees sharing space with fishing boats and the threshold of the seashore.
Back hoes and truck implements were employed on the Bay Road and on the second tier streets including, Liverpool Row, to create access way for motorists and pedestrians.
During business hours no business was done and scarcely any without the help of generators. Electricity supply was gone some 21hrs and most people complained that they were caught flat-footed without a charged cell phone and with most of their landlines electricity dependent. Communication or the lack thereof was therefore prevalent. More rains are forecast.
