Twenty-five people in New Providence sought shelter on Monday morning at the Kendal GL Isaacs National Gymnasium after experiencing flooding in their homes.

Department of Social Services Chief Welfare Officer Andrea Newbold said the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) opened doors around 3 a.m. after receiving calls from people in need of help.

“As soon as we opened, persons started plying. We had a total of 43 in the shelter so far. Some persons were able to go with family members, so they left,” Newbold said.

People came from areas such as Nassau Village, Carmichael Road and Sandilands Village to seek refuge.

According to Newbold, the complaint was that flooding was reaching over their beds. 

Wicky Minnis, a resident of Sandilands Village, experienced water coming from inside her apartment.

“The whole area flooded. Some apartments are maybe a bit higher than others, but all of it,” Minnis explained.

“The water was at the time waist-deep, so I had no choice but to come out and I had to call 911 to let them come and get me. The fire truck got me.

“They got me. My family, which is two children and another adult, my brother, they had to get another family, my neighbor. They had a disabled person, so all of us had to go and we got in this morning about 5 o’clock.

“The fire truck only could’ve hold so much persons and they were only able to take so much.”  

Newbold made a plea for those persons who need to evacuate and haven’t done so as yet.

“You need to evacuate if you have flooding because you’re going to be dealing with waters that is going to be contaminated, so you need to get out those waters,” she said.