Cyclists slogged through axle-deep water and children played on inflatable pool toys in the flooded roads of Grand Cayman last weekend, as Tropical Storm Eta tested the limits of the island’s stormwater-management system.
In some areas, homes were inundated with water and roads were left pockmarked with potholes.
Dramatic footage from one home in George Town showed water streaming through every room in the house.
The extent of the flooding from what was a tropical storm has raised concerns about the vulnerability of parts of Cayman to more severe devastation in the event of a major hurricane.
In George Town Central, one of the worst impacted areas, MLA Kenneth Bryan said the events of the weekend strengthened his calls for greater urgency to be placed on the development of a national stormwater-management plan.
“I am very concerned, given the seriousness of this little storm and what it did, that if we had a major hurricane hit the Cayman Islands, we would be in trouble.”
He said the continuing development of South Sound in particular was interfering with the natural drainage processes in the area, leaving residents on Crewe Road more exposed to flooding. He also suggested culverts, designed to filter stormwater into the wetlands, were being blocked off by new developments.
Bryan has previously advocated for a national plan that includes new strategies to prevent flooding in residential areas. He is also in favour of a government programme to help property owners in low-income, low-lying areas raise the grade of their land and make their homes more resilient to flooding.
Government investment
Joey Hew, the government minister for infrastructure, said more than $1 million had been spent over the past year on enhancing and improving stormwater management.
He said new drains had been installed and significant sums had been spent on increasing the size of drainage pipes and wells.
Though Eta was not a major storm in terms of wind power, he said it had brought a “tremendous amount of rain” to the region.
“We saw flooding across the island, in West Bay and George Town, but also in North Side and areas that do not normally flood.
“The interesting thing is that in most areas, including in George Town, the water ran off quite quickly.”
He said the drainage systems had worked but with such heavy and consistent rainfall it would always take time for the floodwater to drain away.
Hew acknowledged there were ongoing issues, particularly with developments that had been built below sea level. He said a committee had been set up prior to COVID, and the National Roads Authority was leading efforts to continue improving and upgrading the drainage system.
Department of Environment concerns
The rapid development of South Sound and the potential impact on stormwater management has been causing concern for some time.
The Department of Environment has raised the issue on numerous occasions, which includes a long-standing recommendation that government undertakes a comprehensive ‘hydrological assessment’ of the South Sound drainage basin.
With new developments springing up all the time and a new road gazetted in the area, the DoE has advised that a qualified consultant be recruited to devise a stormwater-management plan for the area, including drainage engineering specifications for the proposed road and for future development, to minimise the impacts of stormwater.
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