Residents of Ithaca who were affected by flooding after the sluice door broke early Monday morning said the situation has improved somewhat after work was done on the door.
They told this newspaper they again woke up to about two feet of water in their yards yesterday morning and it receded around midday. By last evening they were afraid that the water would pour in but were relieved that “it din come in so high.”
Regional Executive Officer of Region Five, Floyd France told Stabroek News (SN) that the region has provided a “temporary stop-off while a new door for the sluice is being fabricated.” He said that the door is expected it to be completed by tomorrow.
He apologized to the residents for the inconvenience as a result of what occurred and said the region tried to treat the situation with “urgency.” He said since the door broke regional officials have been in the area.
A resident, Joseph Arthur who had to lift his furniture to dry ground on Monday told this newspaper yesterday that he was “watching the water.” He said that while it was already in his neighbour’s backyard his yard was still dry.
Arthur said he had to “bail out water from me yard” around 1 am yesterday morning after the water from Monday evening’s flood had receded. He was “praying and asking God that I don’t have to bail water again.”
Residents have lost their cash crops and livestock to the flood and are wondering if they would be compensated. Jancie Moore said last evening that “we losing a lot; the vine crop and the other vegetables like tomatoes can’t stand the salt water and we ducks and chickens still dying.”
Voldeen Edwards a single mother who is a diabetic said she has already started to suffer from itching. Other residents were also concerned about being treated for fevers and skin rashes after the health centre was flooded.
Regional Health Officer (RHO), Venus Smartt told SN after the water receded nurses were able to use another section of the building that was not under water. They provided treatment to residents who turned up at the facility.
The RHO visited the area yesterday and took in about 100 bottles of bleach for the residents and is trying to get an additional amount.
She said too that the nurses were assisted by a porter of the Fort Wellington Hospital to bail water out from the health centre and clean the place out.
She said the flood kits provided by the Ministry of Health contain drugs for cold, fever and skin infections and that the region also has an adequate amount. She warned that residents, especially children would have to “be on the watch out for diarrhoea. No matter how you tell children not to play in the water they would still go.”
She also said that health workers would go around to residents with handouts about how to boil water and dispose of the garbage and clean out their yards.