CDC warns of tropical waves, heavy rainfall and possible mudslides

Jun 20, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) during a press conference on Friday, warns that residents across the Regions should remain on high alert as parts of the country is expected to experience tropical waves, heavy rainfall and possible mudslides in the coming weeks.

The Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Director General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig.

According to CDC’s Director General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, residents in all ten Administrative Regions are currently being affected by flooding. While high alert priority is being offered to residents who have been displaced as a result of water covering their homes, those who cannot access drinking water and those without food and other supplies, as a result of the extremity of the current flood situation.

The Director General went on to say that Region Two, Pomeroon-Supenaam; Region Five, Mahaica-Berbice; Region Six, East Berbice-Corentyne; Region Seven, Cuyuni-Mazaruni and Region 10, Upper Demerara-Berbice; are the most impacted Regions. Adding that preliminary damage assessment, which had occurred across the various Regions, had indicated that damage was concentrated in the agriculture, transportation, housing and mining sectors. The flood also affected the rural, water and sanitation, posting health hazards to the residents.

“The situation within the country is classified as Level Two, which means that the national capacity to respond is not overwhelmed, but external assistance is required through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency regional response mechanism and regional international partners to augment efforts to effectively protect lives, livelihoods and the environment within these localities and the country at large,” Craig stated.

Additionally, Craig said, despite the Level Two classifications, the impact of flooding in the Regions varies, as Regions One, Three and Nine, are being classified as Level Two and given the national capacity to manage the impact, while Regions Two, Five, Six, Seven and Ten are being classified as Level Three based on the magnitude of the flood. Adding that the water has receded in Bartica while communities in the lower, middle and Upper Mazaruni has been inundated.

“In Region Eight, mudslides are occurring as water continues to come down the mountains. Residents and farmlands are affected, with some bridges being washed away by floodwaters. In Region Nine, the water level increased over the last 24 hours in the township of Lethem, while farms and other parts of the Region remain flooded,” he stated.

The Director General also highlighted during the press conference that a national action plan has been drafted and it guides all responses across the country, which is backed by the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC), adding that technical support has also been continuous for the Regional Democratic Councils (RDC) and other counterparts. “We continue to dispatch relief supplies for the flood-affected communities. We continue to man the support shelters in the Regions where they are activated. We continue to engage CDEMA on regional and other international stakeholders,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Hydrometeorological Officer (CHO), Dr. Garvin Cummings, stated that the above-normal rainfall is expected to continue over the weekend and the coming weeks, further stating that the Saharan dust will suppress the rainfall but tropical waves will impact some Regions, mostly Regions One and Two and slightly in Region Three.

Dr. Cummings added, “We’re anticipating again that given the trends we are seeing, we will have excessive rainfall in line with the forecast for the rest of this month, July and perhaps into the first two weeks in August. In terms of the short-range forecast, what we have been seeing over this season is that every four to five days Guyana is being affected by a tropical wave, we also have a series of tropical waves coming across the Atlantic into Guyana’s territory and that is influencing our weather. We still continue to see cloudy and overcast conditions that are the influence of the Saharan air layer. Over the weekend, in the context of things, there will be a reduction in rainfall.”

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News