Reminiscences of the massive swamping in 2005 gripped lower East Coast Demerara residents and many in the city yesterday, as the rain fell incessantly for most of the day; showers are expected to continue until tomorrow.
Sandbags at doors, buckets lined up to bail water, inundated yards and in some instances, homes, were the collective signs of trouble. But there was also evidence of raised structures and recent cement work as part of continuous preventive measures by some residents against the heavy showers.
The cries of residents stretching from Good Hope on the East Coast to South Georgetown were loud yesterday as many asked when the weather is likely to change and if they are to prepare for the worst.
At a press briefing at the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority’s (NDIA) boardroom yesterday, the authority’s Chief Executive Officer Lionel Wordsworth said that Regions Three and Four were the regions most affected by the continuous rainfall.
He said that because of the rainfall the water level in the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) had risen and was rising.
Noting that March was historically a dry month, he said water had been stored in the conservancy in preparation for this. But measurements taken at Flagstaff at the EDWC, revealed that five inches of rain had fallen over a short period of time.
However, Wordsworth said, the water level in the conservancy was still manageable and it was currently being discharged towards the Demerara River. He said constant monitoring was ongoing. He said the current water level in the conservancy was 57.8 GD (Georgetown Datum) up from a level of 57.5 GD before the rain.
A press release issued earlier yesterday by the Hydrometeorological Office in the Ministry of Agriculture said a reduction in rainfall was possible tomorrow, but some areas in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six may experience occasional high intensity rainfall and gusty winds.
Rainfall figures were projected to range from 25.4mm (1.0 inches) to 70.0mm (2.76 inches) in a 24-hour period. The office said that La Nina conditions are influencing the weather conditions locally.
La Ni
