More flooding as heavy showers strike coastal areas

Jan 15, 2014 News

Several parts of the city and a few villages along the East Coast of Demerara were flooded, as heavy rains and cloudy skies dominated the weather pattern for the last 24 hours.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, ‘moderate heavy showers’ are expected to continue today, over Regions One to Five.
“Other regions can expect mostly cloudy skies with moderate showers. Thundershowers are likely over some coastal areas,” the Ministry said in a press release last evening.

Scenes from yesterday’s flood in Georgetown (Photos by Dwayne Hackett)

The statement explained that rainfall is expected to range between 20.0 mm and 60.0 mm over the aforementioned regions, with the highest expected over Regions Two, Three and Four. Other regions can expect rainfall values between 5.0 mm and 20.0 mm.
Yesterday’s highest rainfall figure was at 84.4 mm in Georgetown. The Agriculture Ministry advised that tomorrow (Thursday), there will be mostly cloudy skies with occasional “light to moderate showers” over coastal areas, while other regions are expected to have cloudy skies with scattered showers.
“Rainfall amounts are likely between 20.0 mm and 40.0 mm over coastal areas. The highest is expected over Regions Two, Three and Four, while the other regions can expect values between 5.0 mm and 15.0 mm,” the Ministry said.
Meanwhile, as of last evening, residents of La Penitence, Georgetown, and its neighbouring wards became very worried after the community’s koker was shut tight, leaving several areas flooded, even as the flood waters began to recede. As of press time, residents were attempting to rectify the problem.
In late November last, a few days of flooding, due to heavy rain, brought the city to a standstill, with more than 42 schools being closed, and several businesses having to cease operations.
Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy had described that period of rainfall as being the most intense the country has ever recorded during a six-hour period.
Shortly after, the Government via Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, blamed the Guyana Hydrometeorological Office for failing to provide timely warning.
During the time of the last flood, several water pumps in and around the city were not in working condition.
This was despite the government expending billions of dollars on drainage and irrigation systems. The 2012 budget had said that government pumped $7.1 billion into this area. In the 2013 budget, a total of $6.5 billion was budgeted for the final payments towards the acquisition of fixed irrigation pumps, the construction, and rehabilitation of pumps and pump stations in Regions -Three, Four, Five, and Six.
According to the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), 11 sluices in Georgetown were operational, and had been properly discharging excess water into the Demerara River.
In addition, only three of the five city pumps were in working order.
Although yesterday was a national holiday and many businesses were originally closed, owners of a number of entities in the city did not hesitate in implementing precautionary measures.
Meanwhile, some twelve city schools will be closed today due to the current conditions. The schools listed by the Ministry of Education are: Tutorial High, Comenius Primary, St. Gabriel’s Primary, Queenstown Secondary, St. Ambrose Primary, The Bishops’ High, St. Rose’s High, St. Agnes Primary, East R/veldt Secondary, St. Sidwell’s Primary, South Road Nursery and Happy Hearts Nursery