At least six families were affected by the flash storm which hit Mahdia, in Region Eight, on Friday afternoon and efforts are underway by the regional administration and the Civil Defense Commission (CDC) to assist them in rebuilding their homes.
Two mothers and an infant were taken to the Mahdia District Hospital after the storm. One of the mothers was medivaced to the Georgetown Public Hospital. She is said to be in a stable condition. The other mother and the infant, Sunday Stabroek was told, were discharged from the hospital after being treated.
Most of the affected families hail from Campbelltown.
During this week, a source from the region told this newspaper, assistance will be provided to affected families and the region has started mobilising materials towards this end.
The families “are in some discomfort because their roofs were damaged. But help is on the way. We will be helping the families to rebuild their homes,” Regional Executive Officer Mitzy Campbell told this publication.
One resident’s house was crushed by a tree that fell during the storm.
The regional administration has also commenced works to replace the zinc sheets that were ripped off from the roof of the Mahdia Primary School.
Meanwhile, a CDC team visited the town yesterday to conduct an assessment and Director General of the CDC Lieutenant-Colonel Kester Craig said the Regional Disaster Risk Management System was activated in region.
He explained that the CDC, through the system, has provided cleaning supplies, zinc sheets and other construction materials to facilitate urgent repairs to the damaged structures.
In a post on his Facebook post, Craig noted that ranks from the Guyana People’s Militia (GPM) were also deployed to assist.
The CDC team remained on the ground in the region to carry out further assessments and offer support if needed.
Heavy winds passed through the township on Friday afternoon at around 4. The winds lasted approximately 15 minutes.
In the aftermath of the storm, power was disconnected from the community as several utility poles were down. However swift works by employees from the power station enabled the restoration of power within hours.
Campbell recalled to this newspaper that prior to the freak storm hitting the town, it was extremely hot.
“The day was ultra-hot and then the sky got dark around the town. Not long after, [there] was a heavy downpour. When I pulled my curtains, it was pouring and we could have heard this whistling. The trees were leaning,” Campbell explained.
After the storm subsided, Campbell noted, word came about the disaster at the school and she along with other regional officers visited to assess the damage.
“When we went there, the ground was dry. It looked as if nothing happened, no rain fell or anything.
We expected some mud but it was dry. I can’t explain what happened,” she related further. Just two weeks ago, winds battered several communities in Region 10, leaving many homes without roofs. No fatalities or serious injuries were reported.
