Prime Minister Andrew Holness says Kingston’s main flood defense, the Sandy Gully, is in urgent need of major upgrades. “The metropolitan area is urgently in need of serious work on critical drainage infrastructure… that is the Sandy Gully,” Holness said, noting the system was built “over 60 years ago” and “has not had any overall overhaul.” He explained that rainfall from the hills of St Andrew flows into the gully, preventing flooding across the Kingston plains. “If it doesn’t get into the Sandy Gully, it will flood the Kingston plain,” he warned. While the gully was not damaged by Hurricane Elsa, Holness said aging supporting infrastructure is now “falling apart.” Under the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NARA), he announced that “the reconstruction of the Sandy Gully will be a major project” as Jamaica strengthens its resilience post-Hurricane Melissa. #JamaicaObserver #BudgetDebate #AndrewHolness #SandyGully #Kingston