Latest update December 20th, 2024 2:04 AM
High tide floods East Coast carriageway, drives fear into commuters
– Authorities dispatched as gas stations, businesses close
The authorities are continuing to monitor the effects of extra high tides that lashed coastal Guyana yesterday. The tides caused panic and confusion with commuters who used the East Coast Demerara public road last evening.
Water overtopped several sections of the seawall leaving commuters in amazement and shock. The roadways were flooded, causing police to cordon off from the Celina resort and rerouting traffic from the public road to the Railway Embankment. That caused traffic to stretch for miles.
The flooding affected both the northern and south carriageways of the East Coast Highway. The northern carriage was flooded and rendered impassable to traffic. On one occasion the southern carriageway used to enter the city was made into a two-way while police tried desperately to control the heavy traffic.
After a while that too was closed to traffic.
At approximately 17:00hrs violently high waves slammed into the sea defence as authorities say the high tide was 3.15 meters, thus the Liliendaal pumping station would be in operation to dry out the roadways.
Gas stations along the East Coast were forced to close along with other businesses as the high tide spilled over the sea wall.
At Ogle, water also pounded the sea defence for hours. Afternoon joggers were thwarted and before long they gave up trying to use the seawalls.
Properties near the seawall were flooded and it will be some time before they could get the water off the land.
So extensive was the flooding that people called to report a breach in the sea defence. They would not be convinced otherwise.
The high tides are expected to continue for another few days, getting progressively tomorrow and the ensuing days.
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