Flooding hits Hanover and St. Thomas as Jamaica weighs AI rules and Integrity Commission dispute

Heavy rain left Lucea, Hanover, under water on Friday, May 23, 2026, with CVM reporting that the downpour started shortly after 2 p.m. and had flooded the town by about 5 p.m. The main road became difficult to pass, trapping motorists and pedestrians and causing what residents described as an unusually large traffic jam.

In Kendal, near the Hanover-Westmoreland border, residents had been using alternative routes since Tuesday after the main road broke apart. Hanover Western MP Heather Miller Bennett toured the damaged section with National Works Agency representatives and said she had not seen similar destruction in the community where she grew up. The NWA later closed the Green Island-to-Glasgow main road near the Apostolic Church in Kendal because the road embankment had collapsed, directing motorists through Riley, Kingsvale and Prospect.

Works Minister Robert Morgan ordered immediate flood-mitigation action in Lucea and asked the NWA to examine temporary measures for reopening the damaged Kendal road. The agency said a heavy build-up of bamboo at Riley Bridge helped worsen flooding on the Lucea main road. Lucea division councillor Brian Chambers said the problem came from the Dry Hill River overflowing, with garbage and large discarded items in the river adding to blockages. He also pointed to the need for work on the Riley River and the town’s seawall entrance.

In Cotton Tree, Port Morant, St. Thomas, residents said recent road and drainage works had made flooding worse around their homes. They appealed for intervention from Prime Minister Andrew Holness, warning of danger to life and property as the 2026 hurricane season approached. Residents said a new drain was too small for the water entering the area and complained that earlier concerns had not been addressed since flooding on April 8.

Separately, Dr. Andrew Wheatley, minister with responsibility for science, technology and special projects, directed the National Artificial Intelligence Task Force to urgently advise Cabinet on AI literacy across government. He said some ministries, departments and agencies were already using AI before full safeguards were in place, and the task force must work with Jamaica’s ICT Authority.

The newscast also covered Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson’s response to criticism over an Integrity Commission report submitted to Parliament on March 30 but not yet tabled. The report is understood to involve the Firearm Licensing Authority and a Supreme Court matter. Tavares-Finson said the decision was made jointly with House Speaker Juliet Holness and remained under review.