Torrential rain all along the coast raised fears about flooding yesterday and in Georgetown and outlying areas water rushed into homes and businesses wreaking havoc in the midst of Christmas shopping.
Several downtown stores closed while others braved water up to their doors as floodwater from the overnight rain poured into ground flats, in some instances swamping articles that were at floor level.
Although city sluices were opened to let water out yesterday afternoon, late last evening city streets were still flooded.
Along the city’s main thoroughfares such as Regent Street and South Road, pedestrians were forced to walk on the road as the pavements were covered.
At the area surrounding Demico House and the Route 40 and 48 Minibus Park a lake was evident. The usual sellers and barbers on the pave were forced to pack up business for the day. This was the same thing happening on Regent Street where hawkers would normally be abundant at this time of the year, with the Christmas season around the corner. Along Regent Street, Robb Street and other areas storekeepers made makeshift bridges to their stores in a bid to attract the few shoppers who braved the inclement weather.
Other stores such as Wireless Connections on Regent Street were busily trying to save the items that were on the floor as the water swept in overnight soaking items.
One really had to be desperate to brave the water around the Bourda market to get inside; where in some parts there was water too. The floating filth in the water was not a sight one wished to behold much less take a trek through.
Traffic moved at a snail’s pace while storekeepers and sellers complained of the slow sales that will ensue because of the flooded city.
Motor vehicles drove carefully along the East Coast Highway as the roads were heavily flooded.
City Hall Public Relations Officer Royston King told Stabroek News that all of the city’s pumps except the ones at Princes Street and River View were working. King said that the malfunctioning of these two pumps was because of two seals that the City’s Engineering Department was now trying to procure.
King said that although it might sound like a mantra, the Council is once again appealing to citizens to desist from dumping garbage in waterways. King said that the Deputy Mayor Robert Williams and Local Government Minister Kellawan Lall met yesterday to discuss the heavy rainfall and its impact on the city. He also said that from 2 pm Tuesday to 2 pm yesterday there was some 93.9 millimetres of rainfall and that sluices could not be open at certain periods due to the high tides.
Meanwhile the Ministry of Public Works through a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release is urging persons, especially those on the East Coast and in the city to take precautionary measures. The release said that some three inches of rainfall was experienced within three hours and sluices were closed at 10:30 yesterday because of rising tides. The sluices were opened around 5 pm yesterday but did not do much to lessen the water around the city. The release also sought to reassure residents that all available pumps were in operation.
West Demerara
And the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday warned again that heavy rain is expected to continue in the next several days as several areas across the country experienced varying degrees of flooding particularly on the West Demerara, with certain areas in Canal Number Two under a foot of water.
Regions Three, Four, Five and Six recorded approximately five inches of rainfall within the last 24 hours resulting in an accumulation of water in various areas in these regions, GINA said in a press release.
Meantime, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Hydrometeorological Service advised that the current periodic heavy downpours are expected to continue with above average rainfall and today, particularly during the early morning hours, overcast conditions with periodic intense downpours are very likely to prevail across coastal Guyana. “It is anticipated during (the) next seven days that cloudy to overcast conditions with showers are likely to prevail particularly during the early morning hours along the coast”, the Ministry said in a statement.
There have been reports of flooding and heavy accumulation of water mostly in low-lying areas of Region Three (Canal Number One, Belle West, Parika and Naamryck Backdam) and Region Four (Cane Grove, Greenfield, Hope, Nootenzuil, Enmore, Montrose, Good Hope, Grove and Diamond), the Ministry said. Sections of Georgetown were also badly affected by flooding yesterday.
Region Three Chairman, Julius Faerber told GINA that in the Clay Brick and Belle West areas there was approximately one foot of water on the land while areas such as Canal Number One, Hague and Parika backdams are also affected. He said that they are monitoring the situation carefully.
Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth, who was in the region, stated that currently interventions are being made to channel the backland waters away from the flooded areas. He noted that at La Jalousie, a sluice was reactivated on Tuesday night and a dragline has been sent to clean the nearby ‘basin’.
The Ministry explained that the current instability in the weather is influenced by the presence of a low to mid level trough interacting with the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone and is being supported by a mid to upper level ridge over coastal and inland Guyana. It said that the system is very active in Regions 4, 5, 6 and 10 and areas such as Land of Canaan, Lama, Maduni, Grass Hook, Little Biaboo, D’Edward Village, Pine Ground, Grass Hook, and Number 63 Village had recorded in excess of 40 mm (1.57 inches) of rainfall between 8 am on Tuesday and 8 am yesterday.
Additionally, the Ministry said that Little Biaboo and Grass Hook have recorded in excess of 110 mm/4.33 inches of rainfall in 24 hours and Georgetown recorded 89.4mm/3.52 inches in 2.5 hours (between 8am and 10:30am yesterday).
Also, a rise in the water level was recorded in the upper reaches of the Mahaica and Mahaicony Creeks, while the conservancies remain at a safe and manageable level, the ministry said adding that the NDIA continues to monitor and undertake critical drainage works in vulnerable areas to reduce flooding.
Meantime, Region Two Chairman Ali Baksh told GINA that there has been an accumulation of water in Pomeroon, Charity and Anna Regina, though the drainage pumps are operational and additional fuel has been sent to Charity. He also revealed that there was an undermining of the seawall at Aurora village but there has been no major damage.
In Region Four, Regional Chairman, Clement Corlette said that water had accumulated in Annandale, Buxton, Bachelor’s Adventure, Enmore and Montrose and pointed out that the pumps are functioning. Wordsworth said that in order to ensure that the water is removed from the land in this region; two pontoons with excavators have been deployed to clear some outfall channels while equipment have been sent to ‘high risk’ areas such as Hope, Green Field and La Bonne Intention.
In Region Five, Regional Chairman, Harrinarine Baldeo said that due to a few blocked drains in the region there was a slight build up of water on the land in some areas while in Region Six, the Chairman, Zulfikar Mustapha noted that over the past few days the region has seen heavy rainfall in the villages of No. 51, 52 and 74, and as a result the levels in the canals are high though there has been no recorded flooding over the last 24 hours. Region Nine Chairman, Clarindo Lucas said that it is sunny there.
The Agriculture Ministry also stated that the NDIA’s 76 mobile drainage pumps and 28 excavators are deployed at strategic locations for effectiveness while NDIA engineers are deployed in various regions to monitor the situation closely. The ministry advised farmers and residents, particularly those in low-lying and vulnerable areas to take the necessary precautions against flooding.
