Parts of Bartica experienced flooding after heavy rain early yesterday morning coupled with an unusually high tide, leaving members of the business community counting significant losses and damage to goods.
The Guyana Power and Light Inc at First Avenue near the river was forced to halt operations after the compound was flooded, but by midday electricity was restored to the community.
Speaking to Stabroek News yesterday afternoon Regional Chairman Holbert Knights explained that around 04:00 hrs the community was hit by heavy rainfall. He said that usually rainfall is drained by “gravity feed” into the river through three major outfalls. Unfortunately at the time of the rainfall, “we had one of the highest tides and the water was unusually high so no draining could take place”.
Knights added that the flood affected mainly First and Fourth avenues particularly the spots closest to the outfall. He informed this newspaper that GPL had to shut down its operations.
However, between 09:30 hours and 10:00 hrs, the water started to recede and within an hour had drained off the land. He said GPL took a little longer to restore electricity since some system checking had to be done.
Further Knights told Stabroek News that business persons particularly on First Avenue have reported significant damage.
Knights stressed that the drains in the community are not clogged.
“This [the flooding] was not a result of negligence but it was nature at its best,” he said.
When Stabroek News spoke to residents they said that Fourth Avenue near the river, First Avenue business section, parts of Second Avenue and First Street were affected.
According to residents this is the worst spring tide they have seen.
One resident of Second Avenue told Stabroek News via telephone that her entire yard was flooded, but luckily water did get into her house. However, she said, there was water in her neighbour’s house. Meanwhile Mr King, a resident of Fourth Avenue said around 13:00 hours the water had started to recede, noting that “it was very high”.
Another Fourth Avenue resident who declined to be named said the water began flooding her yard around 06:30 hrs. “We had to put sand bags to keep the water from coming in the house. The entire yard flood. We had to put the motorbike and the vehicle on the road because the water started to go in the exhaust.” She said it was the worst flood “ever since I living here” due to high tide.
Mona Jardine of Jardine’s Grocery located on First Avenue said the flood water had damaged goods in the store. “It was terrible when I come to work this morning the river water was all in my shop.” Jardine said she was made to understand that the defence wall behind her shop holding the river at bay was “cracking and water was seeping in when the tide is high”.
Perishable goods such as rice and flour were soaked she said adding that damage was estimated to be in the millions. “Right now we trying to save things. We really under stress right now,” she said.
According to Deveda Stoby, who works at a boutique located in First Avenue, when “I came to work about 1 pm the water had already gone down. Earlier today water was really high and it got in the shop damaging clothes, shoes and batteries.”
