Floodwaters that severely affected just over ten homes in Eteringbang, Region Seven, have started to recede.
Chairman Kenneth Williams told Stabroek News yesterday that the flooding was caused by the El Dorado River in Venezuela flowing into the Cuyuni River in Guyana. Eteringbang and another border community in Venezuela were both affected. Ten businesses and three households were underwater with water levels reaching as high as eight feet. Williams said that the region has been experiencing fairly good weather so the sudden flooding was a surprise and noted that Eteringbang is the only community in Guyana to be affected by rising water levels in Venezuela.
He stated that while the floodwaters are receding, it is happening at a slow pace so the community is still flooded.
The Civil Defence Commission is working with regional authorities to monitor the situation and is prepared to dispatch relief supplies and an assessment team to Eteringbang, should the need arise. Region Seven experienced severe flooding in June/July and is only now recovering. Hundreds of persons were displaced, homes flooded and livelihoods – particularly in the mining sector – disrupted.
