By Roger Wong and Rae Wiltshire
Many city businesses and residents were crying out about losses yesterday after overnight rainfall that continued into the morning left major sections of the capital flooded.
Most of the major streets were inundated, resulting in the disruption of traffic although some persons attempted to go about their daily activities.
Many businesses were closed, while some that are sited on higher grounds placed sandbags around their premises to prevent rising water from flowing inside as they continued to look for sales.
Commuters, too, could be seen braving the weather with rain gear and long boots. However, at the city bus parks, many were heard complaining of the extensive wait they had to endure in order to get buses, fewer of which were plying the roadways owing to the flooded streets.
On Regent Street, two Chinese Stores each complained of suffering over one million dollars in losses. Many of the items on display were damaged as the rise of the early morning floodwater engulfed some of the stores, even before workers reported for work.
At one store, Stabroek News was taken to an upper flat where dozens of water soaked items were placed. Most of the items were clothes and footwear. “They are all damaged,” an employee said, as she pointed to many garbage bags containing damaged items which were yet to be sorted out.
A Regent Street businessman, however, said that he learned his lesson from the last flood when he had suffered losses. He said that when the rain started, he quickly placed the items in his store on higher ground. He said that as a result he did not suffer any losses.
Bounty Supermarket in Kitty also closed its doors yesterday.
General Manager Angelique de Groot said that water was about four inches in the building. She said that the major loss the branch suffered was the sales for the day as only minor damage was done by the flood.
de Groot said that they were disinfecting and cleaning the premises while looking at how the water is moving off before considering reopening.
Wayne Foster, who is the manager of the branch, noted that the main reason why they closed was due to sanitation. He said that they also considered their employees, who were affected by the flood and allowed them to go home.
Foster added that he did not see a flood of this nature in a long while.
The staff at the Survival Supermarket on Vlissengen Road also reported losses. A staff member said that they could not access the canteen area because the water was still high. She said that most of the losses were in the auto parts and canteen sections.
They are also monitoring the flooding before reopening.
The Rubis gas station on Vlissengen Road was closed along with the Shell Gas Station on Camp Street. Gizmos and Gadgets, located on Wellington Street, was also seen with locked doors.
Most of the Bourda Market was also inundated and vendors said there were heavy losses. They said that flooding is not strange to the market and that business is very bad since shoppers are refusing to venture into the water to shop.
Some businesses although severely affected by the flooding refused to offer a comment but employees could be seen emptying water from the premises with buckets.
‘Chaos and madness’
Many residents of Georgetown and its environs also complained of damage to furniture and electrical appliances due to the sudden rise in the water.
Arlene Cornelius, of Leopold Street, Charlestown, said that she could not sleep the whole night since she was trying to move items which were on the ground. Cornelius pointed to a portion of the wall on her house where roaches had grouped together in their bid to escape the floodwater.
Other residents of Leopold Street also suffered losses and they complained about the clogged gutters, which they said were significantly slowing the rate at which the water was receding.
Residents also resorted to placing objects on some of the flooded streets in order to prevent drivers from passing. They explained that waves generated by passing vehicles added to the pressure of the water rushing into their homes.
The owner of the “Transform You Beauty” salon on Lyng Street said that some of her chairs and appliances were damaged and she estimated her losses at about $100,000.
Mama’s Day Care Centre, also in Charlestown, was closed and many of the facilities were damaged. Tomeika Reid, who manages the Day Care, said that her total loss was around $75,000.
Another resident, Marina Craig, frustrated about the damage to her furniture, recounted that she was awakened at about 4am to discover that her house was flooded. Her food business, which she operates in front of her house, was also affected. Craig referred to the situation as “chaos and madness.”
Meanwhile, residents of Alexander Village suffered a similar plight. Rita Rambarose, a widow, said that she was up at about 4:30 am to make breakfast when she stepped into water after she came off her bed. Most of her furniture was also soaked.
Myrtle Hinds, an employee of Professional Guard Services, said that she woke when a fan next to her bed fell. As she got up, she stepped into a pond of water by her bedside. Her entire bottom flat was flooded and she said that many of her electrical appliances and furniture were damaged.
At the time of Stabroek News’s visit, Hinds and her five-year-old grandson were using buckets to empty the house of the floodwater. Her entire home was disarranged and she could not even prepare breakfast due to the confusion.
Others were complaining of a blocked canal in the village, which is overtaken by weeds. They said too that persons are squatting on the bank of that canal and are preventing machines from cleaning it. They also lamented the government cleanup campaign in the area, which started about a month ago but still has not covered much ground.
Residents also said a pump that was placed at a koker at Ruimveldt is not functioning.
Lionel Ramsammy, a resident whose house was also flooded up to about one foot in water, believed that if the pump was functioning, it would have resulted in a speedy receding of the water from the land.
Stabroek News observed a buildup of rubbish at the koker door even as the water continued to rise. Residents said the man that operates the koker is on leave and in the interim he was replaced with someone who doesn’t know how to operate the koker properly.
