Experiencing its biggest flood in years, sections of St Cuthbert’s Mission remained swamped yesterday—a week after rains dumped inches of water on the community.
The floodwaters are slowly receding, the village’s Toshao Ernest Dundas said yesterday. On Tuesday, Chief Hydromet Officer Bhaleka Seulall had reported that in the preceding 72 hours, St Cuthbert’s Mission recorded 311.3 mm of accumulated water. St Cuthbert’s Mission is located in the upper reaches of the Mahaica River in Region Four.
Dundas said yesterday that the flood was the biggest experienced by the village in years and farms as well as homes were flooded. He said crops and personal property were lost. More than half of residents were affected, he said. Dundas pointed out that not only persons close to the river and creeks were affected but those living in the savannah as well.
As the river and creeks overflowed their banks, roads were also covered too. Persons engaged in logging stopped operations while some children could not make it to school.
Dundas said that the authorities have not visited the community to make an assessment of the damage suffered but the Ministry of Agriculture has said that a team will be sent today. Dundas said that officials at the ministry had said that a team was sent but was forced to turn back due to the state of the road.
Dundas said that while the village had experienced flooding before, the waters have never risen to that height. The highest level of water was seen from Saturday to Wednesday before it started receding.
