Malfunctioning koker door leads to flooding in Charlestown, Werk-en-Rust

…250 households affected – CDC

Flooding due to a malfunctioned door at the Princes Street, Georgetown koker affected 250 households on Sunday at Charlestown, Georgetown, said the Civil Defence Commission (CDC). The floodwaters have since receded. Following the flooding, the CDC deployed a team to assess the damage to homes and businesses in the communities.
According to the CDC, while homes in Hadfield, Bent, and Princes Streets were not affected, over 250 households in the Charlestown and Werk-en-Rust communities were impacted. In the Charlestown area, the roads were inundated with about eight inches of water while as much as 12 inches of water were on the Werk-en-Rust roadway.
On Sunday, City Engineer Colvern Venture reported that the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) had successfully managed to close the koker door and that the Princes Street pump was used to drain the water from the land.
“At 4:40 am when the door closed, we were continuously pumping water until about 6:30 am, at which time we saw a significant reduction in the level of the water,” Venture informed. The CDC has assured that it will continue to support the M&CC in providing relief to the affected households in the Charlestown and Werk-en-Rust communities.

Flood warning
Meanwhile, the Public Works Ministry is advising the public to take all necessary precautions during the spring tide period which commenced last Friday, March 26, 2021, and is expected to end on April 1, 2021. The Ministry warned that the predicted tide indicates above-normal levels.
The Sea and River Defence Department considers the following areas to be particularly susceptible to possible flooding as a result of storm surges which may induce overtopping of sea/river defence structures. The areas are San Souci to Sarah and Maria’s Pleasure to Meerzorg, Good Success, Zeelandia and Moorfarm, Wakenaam Island on the Pomeron River banks.
Amsterdam/Retrieve, Endeavour/Blenheim, Cane Garden on Leguan Island; Windsor Forest to De Willem, West Coast Demerara; Zeelugt, Parika Market Area, Salem to Sparta, East Bank Essequibo; Water Street, Georgetown; Helena # 1 & 2 Mahaica, East Coast Demerara; Belvedere to Cottage, Mahaicony; Wellington Park/Tarlogie, Lonsdale/Glasgow, East Bank Berbice, and Sheet Anchor, Canje River.
The highest tides are expected to be on Monday, March 29, 2021, at 4:30 am and 4:42 pm at a height of 3.27 metres, and on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at 5:07 pm at a height of 3.28 metres. In addition to the above-named locations, all persons residing along the banks of rivers and low-lying coastal areas are advised to take all the necessary precautions against possible flooding.
Mariners are also being advised to take precautions, including those operating fishing vessels and larger vessels. The use of beaches and foreshore areas for recreational purposes during this period is not advised.