Freak storm at Tuschen destroys roofs, power lines

…Georgetown GuyOil roof partially collapses

Sections of several houses in Tuschen New Housing Scheme on the East Bank of Essequibo were destroyed by a freak storm that struck early Monday morning.
Heavy rainfall was reportedly experienced on Sunday afternoon and into the evening hours; and on Monday morning, a heavy gust of wind emerged from the northern side of the scheme and slowly engulfed the neighbouring areas.
Several galvanized roofing sheets were dislodged by the wind, and subsequently ended up in neighbouring yards and in some cases a few metres away. A resident of the area, Sunil (only name given), explained that as the gust of wind hit his home, his roofing went flying.
“I feel the breeze blowing, and by the time we lock up the windows, some of the zinc sheets fly off from in front of the house, and then the antenna come off as well. So I hear the noise and run out, and I see what happen. (The galvanized sheets) end up till in my neighbour backyard,” he recalled.

A section of the Guyoil roof that collapsed

Guyana Times was told that electrical wires were torn from their utility supports, and several residences experienced power outages while others experienced power surges.
“Well, some of my things (electrical equipment) not working anymore, ‘cause like we getting 240 volts from the 110 [volts] output; so I had to take off the main breaker,” another villager explained.
The man said no one was injured in the incident, and the structures will be repaired soon.
The Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil) on Sheriff Street, Georgetown was forced to temporarily cease its services after part of its roof collapsed following inclement weather conditions on Monday. The area was cordoned off and works were ongoing throughout the day, so as to resume operations at the earliest.
A few days ago, a freak storm hit the community of Lima on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaan), causing similar devastation. However, following that incident, four persons were injured and four homes were damaged after being dealt with by harsh winds and heavy rainfall. (Rupadai Seenaraine)