Flood situation grim

“Evacuation is tough option, stay at your own risk, if we had
the facilities we would tell all to move” - John Lewis JOC head

15-mile stretch from Sophia to Ann’s Grove submerged
Villages evacuated... People an animals living on roads

 

Head of the Joint Operations Centre (JOC) John Lewis has described the current flood situation as “pretty grim.”

“Conditions are rough…it is stressful for those in the floods,” Lewis said, speaking at an ‘Operation Flood Gates' press conference last night at State House.

Lewis said Retired Major General Joe Singh, who has been part of the aerial reconnaissance team checking the conservancies, has reported that there is no breakage to the conservancy, just over topping.

The news of Boerasiree having a breach is, according to the team, a mere rumor.

“If somebody confirms that the conservancy dam is broken, then that would really be disaster time…then I would advise that you get in a boat and head south. In this sort of pressure (a broken Conservancy) we would have to consider very quickly mash evacuation,” Lewis said.

Colonel Lewis added, “It is getting a bit worse where the rainfall is concerned.” He added that donations are slow for much needed mattresses which are in short supply. He however said, “We plan to continue efforts to bring relief to those affected.”

 

Evacuation

Colonel Lewis said that the Joint Operations Center has identified the Timehri Racing Circuit to accommodate over the 20,000 of the 200, 000 persons, who will most definitely have to be evacuated. The JOC is working out the logistics.

Lewis said entire villages will have to be evacuated to Timehri locations. Timehri is currently dry and unlikely to flood.

In addition, he said that the necessary infrastructure is already in place, including roads, water and electricity at Timehri. However, it would take over a week to set up toilets and baths after using a day to set up tents.

Lewis said the evacuation exercise would start with the shelters and this would be done in phases.

Lewis said at least 200,000 are affected to the point of needing evacuation immediately but over all, 400,000 are affected while the current capacity of all the shelters is over 4,500.

The Colonel said more than 26 shelters have been established and 15 more will be opened shortly.

He commended some of the victims who are taking the initiative.

“People are coming out of the current tough conditions on their own and are heading to the shelters and their families.”

He said the existing shelters can absorb people over the next three days, if the rains continue. “Sophia has the most people responding to the shelters while some shelters are being used as night shelters, because they are not fully operational but we are working to improve facilities. We've got 2000 people in shelters but we only have 750 mattresses.”

But, he said that because of the continuing rainfall, the Joint Services Operations group is looking to increase the sizes of shelters to accommodate over 2000 people at maximum.

The Colonel said the GDF has teams working with the Health Ministry in Sophia. However, only boats can access Sophia and some other areas, he said.

He said the GDF teams have been taking supplies to Sophia and transporting those who wish to come out. He says the GDF had been operating with 13 small boats. Yesterday, they were given three more by the Guyana Police Force along with two others from individuals. Yet another is to be collected from state house today.

“Boats are essential as light four-wheel drives can't make it through the waters and the large trucks can damage the roads.”

The Colonel said that on the short term, the draining of the flood waters would depend on gravity.

The supplies sent to Guyana are being parceled for distribution in family pack sizes. Each pack is sufficient for families of five and should last for a week. The distribution should begin today.

He said that supplies have been donated by the Red Cross and some more would be received from Brazil and Red Cross over time.

The worse affected areas with flooding is mostly occurring in the backdams south of the railway line with waters reaching as high as six to seven feet but in other areas, waters are as high as four feet.

“Evacuation is a tough operation…stay at your own risk. If we had the facility, we would tell all to move,” he said.

He said once mass evacuation begins, there would be increased security in those areas. Some people have moved to Linden and so the relief operation has extended to Linden.

Deputy Command to police Senior Superintendent Steve Merai said there have been at least five protests in connection with the flooding situation.

“Protests are normal when situations occur but so far we have had had no major criminal activity,” Merai said.

Merai also said that while there has not been any reports of major criminal activity as a result of the flooding.

However, a senior official in the Joint Services told Kaieteur News that “if any of the dam breaks, we would be in a worse situation than Haiti but if the dams hold, we will survive.”

A Joint Services official said the canal is in a bad state. However, it is not desperately bad and there was no breach up to the last checks.

 

 

Residents travel by boat to get to their homes on the East Coast

Success residents in their makeshift homes
on the Railway Embankment East Coast.

 

East Coast Highway, where boats and motorvehicles
are used to travel, crossing each other sometimes by inches.

 

Traffic build-up on the East Coast Highway

Some of the residents of the East Coast villages heading their way to obtain food

This villager of Paradise East Coast appears to have lost her sense of direction

One of the evacuated villages on the East Coast.

Not so safe, slow but a sure way to get going

Residents improvising to get transportation

Flood waters resulting in this road to be used only by motor vehicles

Residents busy assisting each other however possible

Watery graves: The current state of the La Repentir Cemetery in Georgetown

St. James -the Less cemetery in Kitty, Georgetown, where
graves are covered with water

Villagers of Enmore flock this private vehicle for food.

Residents of Bare Roots, East Coast using
makeshift rafts to evacuate their homes

More means of evacuation, home built boats.

The only way to get around in this village is by boats

Villagers grab and get moving as fast as possible for safety

Must go home: this woman taking all risks to get to her family

A child determine to get food home