Overtopping, breached sea defence cause massive flooding on WCD/EBE

…house, fences flattened

By Kizzy Coleman

Residents largely from the West Coast of Demerara (WCD) and those living within a small section of the mighty Essequibo River’s eastern bank (EBE) found themselves on Friday morning under floodwaters as a result of high tide overtopping and breaching the sea defence.
Reportedly following an extended period of ominous high tides on Thursday, the waters began pummelling the seawalls at about 14:00hrs, and overtopping during the night and into Friday morning.

Alarmed residents of Zeelugt’s Atlantic Ocean front on the East Bank Essequibo (EBE), like their counterparts at Meten-Meer-Zorg, Zeeburg, Uitvlugt, Stewartville, Leonora and Cornelia Ida on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD), were forced to move to higher ground, in some instances leaving their homes for safety.
Mountainous waves of the restless Atlantic Ocean hit the seawall with such crushing force as to cause a large part of this sea defence structure to break away; and one house reportedly came crashing down as the Atlantic’s waters came rushing invasively into the beleaguered communities, flattening a number of fences and destroying bridges, electrical appliances and furniture in some homes.
Poultry and cash crop farmers in the affected areas are now also left counting their huge losses as the flood waters lay siege to their communities.

Ishar Bassier, a poultry farmer of Zeeburg, WCD, told this publication he was out of the area at the time of the flooding, but was nevertheless alerted to the situation. He said that by the time he had returned home, it was too late to save anything from the ravages of the flood.
“I hurry up because my neighbour called me and tell me that I need to come and move my chickens. She say that the place flooding away. But by the time I reach hey, everything — all of the chicken them — I find floating in the water dead. This hey hurt me bad! I didn’t prepare because I didn’t know that this would have happened,” the shocked and distraught man relayed.
Guyana Times was told that patients seeking medical care at the Leonora Cottage Hospital (LMC) had to be referred to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) at Vreed-en-Hoop because the Leonora facility has been inundated.
The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) at Leonora, whose facility was also flooded, had to be called in, but was unable to drain the water from the Leonora medical facility. However, its personnel lent assistance with the handing out of sandbags in the area.

Meanwhile, Opposition Member of Parliament Irfaan Ali visited the affected residents and sought needed intervention by regional officals.
Ali, who is the PPP regional MP, has since called for urgent intervention by the Government, to have resources available for residents. He told this publication that a number of persons livelihood has been affected and would need financial assistance to return their lives to normalcy.
Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) is working on an assessment of the damages that would be completed today to be sent to the Government.
Additionally Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings, and a team from the Public Infrastructure Ministry and officials from the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), visited the affected areas, including the flooded hospital, to further assess the situation and distribute supplies of sandbags.
The Leonora Police Station has also been affected. This publication was, moreover, informed that the Zeeburg Secondary School has also been heavily affected by flood waters.
When this publication visited Uitvlugt, it was met with the shocked and distraught faces of affected residents. One resident disclosed that she was awakened from sleep at about 02:00h on Friday but loud noises coming from the seawall area.

“I hear this noise, and so I decide to get up and check outside. But when I put my foot on the ground, I realise that the place wet wet. So I get up and turned on my lights, and my heart sink, girl. My house inside had about one inch of water, and outside did look like a river, by was night time,” the distraught woman related.
Another resident, whose fence was damaged, said he was standing at his bridge when the fence started to shake. He explained, “I deh standing inside the water watching what going on. I see my fence start to shake lil bit. Next thing I see, my fence fall in. I left stupid, I didn’t even realise is so strong the water did strong.”
Another high tide had been forecasted for 15:00h on Friday, and overtopping was again expected, along with flooding. The CDC team is expected to remain on the ground for the next high tide, to provide requisite assistance and guidance.
Residents of the affected areas are being advised to take all necessary precautions to safeguard their possessions, and to stay away from the seawall and sea dams during the high tide. Residents should also avoid all unnecessary contact with flood waters.
Precautionary measures to be taken include moving all animals and poultry to higher ground; elevating furniture, appliances, electronic equipment and other valuables in lower flats; unplugging all appliances and electrical equipment in lower flats; and using sandbags around doors to buildings.