President David Granger at 4:00 am today summoned an emergency meeting of the Cabinet, in light of intense flooding in Georgetown, East Coast and other coastal areas.
A release from the Ministry of the Presidency this morning said that the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has since been activated and the Guyana Defence Force will be supporting the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and the Ministry of Communities in flood relief efforts.
The Ministry release said that over the past 16 hours Guyana has experienced an intense period of rainfall. Georgetown it said saw approximately 70mm of rainfall. The East Coast of Demerara received approximately 100mm, while Leonora in Region 3 received around 225mm. This resulted in flooding in most low-lying areas.
The following decisions and actions were taken as a result of that emergency meeting:
- An aerial survey of the coastal areas of the country will be done to ascertain the extent of the flooding along the coast.
- The Ministries of Public Security and Communities will contact all regional offices, stations and police outposts to obtain a quick briefing of any affected areas.
- Shelters will be established in suitable areas for any residents that require temporary accommodation.
- Traffic restrictions will be issued and citizens are advised that all non-essential travel should be avoided.
The release said that the President was briefed by the Minister of Public Infrastructure and assured that all mechanical pumps in the city were operational during the night. At low tide, at 7:00 am today, all sluices in Georgetown were opened, with the exception of the one at Sussex Street, which is under repairs. This will bring some measure of relief to the higher sections of Georgetown, the release said.
Rainfall of approximately 20mm – 40mm is anticipated in the next 12 hours, which will contribute to additional flooding in low-lying areas.
A later release from the Ministry of the Presidency said that the Civil Defence Commission is coordinating flood relief efforts and together with the Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, the need for temporary shelters in affected communities is being assessed.
The Ministry of Social Protection has also been mandated by Cabinet to ensure the safety and well-being of residents of senior citizen homes and other vulnerable citizens that fall within the purview of that Ministry.
The release said that Cabinet met again at 08:00 hrs this morning, where a report on the the flood situation in Regions 1, 2, 2, 4, 5 and 6 was given. From that report, Cabinet was able to determine that Region 4 is the most affected region with some flooding on the West Coast and the West Bank of Demerara in Region 3.
The Regional Chairmen and Regional Executive Officers in the other assessed regions have said that the flood situation in their regions is manageable.
With Cabinet’s approval, an aircraft was sent out this morning at 07:40 hrs on a reconnaissance mission. The information that was gathered through that process will be shared with the CDC, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, the Ministry of Social Protection and the Ministry of Communities as well as the regional administrations. That report will also be presented to cabinet at 18:00 hrs this evening, by the Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder.
The release added that Minister of State Joseph Harmon, who has responsibility for the CDC, is currently meeting with the head of that organization, Colonel Chabilall Ramsarup. Further, the release said that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) will be briefed and will be invited to participate in the flood relief efforts.
The release also disclosed that the long range weather forecast suggests that there will be further intense rainfall. Flooding is likely to abate within a 48 hour period, it said.
