Storm-affected Linden residents refuse to utilise shelter – Town Clerk

– says rebuilding works progressing

Several persons who were provided shelter by the government following a freak storm in the mining town of Linden over the weekend have since refused the offer. This was according to Linden’s Town Clerk Lennox Gasper during an interview with the Guyana Times.
In a previous interview with the town clerk, he stated that due to the severity of damages to several buildings, an area to shelter the affected persons was identified but on Friday, in an update, he revealed that this resource has not been utilised as yet.
“With the intervention of the Civil Defense Commission (CDC), they would’ve engaged those persons. Some were able to get tents and food supplies along with cleaning materials, however, they would’ve indicated that they do not wish to move. So the shelter has been checked out by the CDC but it’s just basically in case they have a change of mind” he said.
He further revealed that some persons are currently camping out in the yards of neighbours, whilst one man even decided to sleep in his car to safeguard his property.
“They are displaced because we know for certain the one on Blueberry Hill, they literally had to pull a tent in the neighbour’s yard then you see their bed and everything that was there. The entire house is basically in the yard. The person on Mckenzie with a quarter of the roof blow off, I think the man was comfortable sleeping in his car because he said he’s not going to leave his place for the night walkers to take advantage of what is there” he said.
Moreover, Gasper revealed that through the central government, most of these homes have already been repaired.
“Out of the 13 properties on the McKenzie shore that were affected 8 were completed, the balance which would have been 5 they’re still ongoing, and we would have had some technical difficulties in works to be done. In terms of framing over the entire roof. More and more difficult work than just the zinc sheets. On the Wismar shore out of the 20, just about half was completed and the other half is still being worked on as we speak,” Gasper highlighted.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday evening several houses situated in Linden Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Upper Berbice) were affected as heavy winds and rain swept through the mining town. These structures were left exposed to the elements as heavy winds damaged and, in some cases, ripped off the entire roof of these homes. Moreover, flash flooding also affected several residents as heavy rains washed through the town.
Following the freak storm, on Wednesday morning Public Works Minister Juan Edghill alongside Local Government and Regional Development Minister Sonia Parag as well as officials from the Civil Defense Commission (CDC) conducted a walkthrough exercise at several communities to aid affected residents. Through central government materials such as hygienic products, food supplies, cleaning supplies, zinc and tarpaulins.