Residents of the East Bank Demerara communities of Peters Hall and Providence and parts of Republic Park and Nandy Park came face to face, one week ago, with the effects of a broken local government system. While many of them were asleep, sea water inundated their yards, homes and roadways at about 04:00 am on Thursday 9th October, 2014.
Flood water rose to over a metre in many homes, leaving untold damage in its wake. Affected households suffered considerable financial losses owing to damage to their electrical appliances, furniture, foodstuff, clothing, water pumps, tools, personal effects, livestock, gardens, etc.
When the flood water receded, it left behind several centimetres of mud and sludge as well as a foul smell for the hapless victims to contend with. The cleanup cost to individual households is