A freak storm ripped through parts of Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) on Friday afternoon, causing damages to the Mahdia Primary School’s roof, which is expected to be fixed by Monday according to Director General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig.
The remains of the pregnant woman’s home (CDC image)The roofless Mahdia Primary School (CDC image)
In an interview with this publication on Saturday, Craig explained that the heavy winds impacted several homes at about 16:00h. The unexpected storm, which lasted for about 15 minutes, led several residents into a state of fear and panic. In fact, Guyana Times was told that in one instance, the heavy winds even led to a home collapsing with a pregnant woman and her toddler still inside.
The CDC Director said that he was happy to report that the woman, although still hospitalized, is in a stable condition as well as her unborn child. Her toddler only received minor injuries.
In the meantime, he noted that a thorough assessment of the damages is still ongoing, but so far six houses have received damages in addition to the primary school’s roof which blew off.
According to Craig, the Communities Ministry has committed to rehabilitating the affected homes once the assessment is completed. Even though some of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) poles were affected by the storm, electricity, he said, has also been restored to the affected areas.
A similar event unfolded only a few days ago in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). Guyana Times reported that on August 24, a few communities across the region were sent into distress after a freak storm caused damages to numerous houses in the early morning hours, affecting over 100 families.
The regional administration disclosed that a number of residents from Moblissa to Blueberry Hill, Linden, and other surrounding areas were affected by the heavy rainfall and forceful winds which shredded through roofs and walls. In social media narratives, accompanied by photos, residents voiced their plights as water accumulated several inches from the heavy rainfall.
This was described as the largest storm seen in recent times and the losses brought by the destruction is estimated to be in the millions.
