KSAMC launches $23M gully and drain clearance ahead of hurricane season

A $23-million drive to clear 27 gullies and drains in nine coastal divisions is under way at the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), aimed at easing flood risk through the 2026 hurricane season.

Councillor Lorraine Dobson, Deputy Mayor of Kingston, said the exercise is phase one of the corporation’s 2026 Disaster Mitigation Programme. She briefed colleagues at Tuesday’s KSAMC meeting in downtown Kingston, stressing that the works should strengthen drainage systems and lower the chance of flooding when rains are heavy.

“We have commenced work on the first phase of the 2026 Disaster Mitigation Programme. Under this phase, we will be focusing on critical gullies and drains,” she said.

Dobson cast the intervention as vital for saving lives, shielding property and hardening community resilience while the hurricane season runs. She pressed householders, contractors and developers to dump refuse properly and to stop leaving building materials — including sand, marl and gravel — on verges or beside drains.

Those stockpiles, she warned, are regularly swept into the drainage system once downpours hit. The corporation then has to divert limited funds into unblocking channels rather than advancing other capital works.

“I therefore urge every resident to play his or her part in protecting our drainage infrastructure by adopting responsible construction and waste management practices. We can reduce flooding, make more efficient use of public funds and build a cleaner, safer and more resilient Kingston and St Andrew for all,” Dobson said.

She noted that every KSAMC division stands to gain from the wider disaster mitigation programme.