Dec. 12, 2003 – With St. Croix's rain-soaked soil unable to absorb the water from a brief squall that washed over the island on Friday afternoon, natural guts overflowed once again and inadequate drainage caused the water to collect in some areas.
Because the ground is still saturated from the heavy downpours day after day in mid-November, it does not take much rain to cause flood conditions now. "I know rain is a blessing, but we can't take any more," a woman maneuvering across a large puddle commented on Friday.
Water surged across several stretches of road, forcing motorists and pedestrians to tread cautiously. And it collected in large potholes left behind by November's deluge.
"I dropped in a pothole that was hidden by the water," a teacher at Evelyn Williams School said. "My tire went all the way down into it."
A roadside produce vendor who gave her name as Margaret stood ankle-deep in water Friday as she continued to offer her wares for sale near the Paradise intersection.
According to the National Weather Service station in San Juan, last month was the rainiest November on record for the territory. St. Croix recorded 17.66 inches of rain and St. Thomas had 15.51 inches. The previous November records were of 16.98 inches on St. Croix, set in 1961, and 14.73 inches on St. Thomas, set in 1984.
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