Torrential rain flooded sections of the city yesterday but the water quickly receded from affected areas in central and north Georgetown after irrigation pumps operated by the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) were put into operation.
Kitty, North and South Ruimveldt, and Cummingsburg were among the areas that were flooded after a downpour which started around 3 am. Up to yesterday afternoon, some low lying streets and yards were still waterlogged but from all indications water levels had dropped. Also affected by the flooding was the Georgetown Public Hospital’s compound.
The rainfall coincided with a period of high tides, which resulted in operators of the sluices in the city being unable to open the doors and some areas flooded.
In a statement yesterday, M&CC spokeswoman Debra Lewis said sluices were open between 11 am and 12 pm yesterday after the tides would have started to drop.
Acting City Engineer Kenson Boston has assured that the municipality’s pumps are functioning to facilitate optimum drainage of water off the land.
To further bring relief to affected residents, teams of workers were dispatched to affected areas to clear blockages and clogged drains in several communities.
Additionally, Lewis noted that constituency councillors over the past two months have embarked on drainage projects to restore drainage in their respective communities. Rehabilitative drainage works were done in Agricola, East Ruimveldt, Bourda, West La Penitence, Festival City, Castello Housing Scheme and North Ruimveldt.
During a drive through the city yesterday afternoon, Stabroek News observed that only a few streets across the city remained waterlogged while water from most yards had receded.
Head of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig said flood assessments were carried out in regions Three and Four. He noted that no community was severely impacted by the rainfall but water levels in drains were high and flowed onto dams.
“By the afternoon, when the pumps began to work the water went down and that saved the day. But we have to keep monitoring the rainfall for the week,” Craig said.
He added that drainage works in the Albouystown community, which is prone to flooding, yielded results. During his visit, he said, water in the community’s drains were low and there were no reports of any section or yard flooded from the rainfall.
He noted that the CDC is monitoring all administrative regions and is currently preparing hygiene packages to distribute to affected persons if the need arises.
The Hydrometeorological Office yesterday issued a flood warning and stated that communities in northern Guyana for the next few days would experience moderate showers and thundershowers.
Rainfall is forecast to range from between 20mm and 50 mm and conditions may produce flooding in flood-prone locations, the notice said.
If flooding is observed in communities, persons can contact the CDC’s 24-Hour National Emergency Monitoring System (NEMS) on 623-1700, 600-5700 or 226-1114.
