Heavy rainfall, clogged drains result widespread flooding

Mar 29, 2026 News

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…citizens bemoan health concerns, inconvenience

(Kaieteur News) – The streets of Georgetown and other communities were severely flooded on Saturday after almost 24 hours of continuous and heavy rainfall.

Coupled with the heavy and persistent rainfall, large piles of debris were seen floating in several of the city’s trenches preventing the accumulated water from draining off the land. Communities in Regions Three, and Five were also flooded.

Residents expressed frustration over the flood waters which remained stagnant in some areas.

Mr. Adonis (only name given), an artist and public servant, told Kaieteur News that he is new to the city life and was shocked to see flood waters when he woke Saturday morning.

“I’m new to Georgetown, and growing up on the East Coast, even though we had a lot of floods, I wasn’t expecting that the streets will be covered completely when I’m driving, I have to average, you know, just to make sure and I’m not driving into the drains,” he explained.

A teacher who requested anonymity said that she is stressed by the flood waters entering her home and damaging her appliances and furniture.

“I’m just trying to get through the day, and it’s really frustrating, and I’m also worried and concerned about the health issues that may arise, like leptospirosis and dengue fever,” the educator added.

However, the situation was not as bad for Lyfestyle, a photographer and videographer, who said while the rainfall is not a bother to him, the flooded streets prevented him from attending to his tasks.

“Example, I have laundry to do, but it won’t allow me to, because you can’t put nothing out on the line to dry, you know. So, it is an inconvenience, especially the fact that it’s been falling for a few days. It’s scheduled to fall for the entirety of next week, also. So, it makes you try to figure out what you could do to get things done. With the rain and the road flooding also, it inconveniences you, sometimes, especially the places you might have to go, because places might get flooded, places might be closed,” he said.

Other city residents told Kaieteur News that they are tired of experiencing floods in the city whenever there is heavy rainfall.

“The government, City Council…everybody got to get it right. We are not compensated for the loss, the damage to our properties, the inconvenience and not to mention the health scare by having so much garbage in our drains. It is sickening,” one man told Kaieteur News.

A market vendor said she is losing lots of money because she was unable to open her stall in the La Penitence Market. The woman told Kaieteur News, “I can’t go in there to work in all this rain. It makes no sense, the place flood, the market stink and customers won’t come. Our leaders must do better by us. We pay taxes, we are tired.”

Meanwhile, several government ministers were fanned out across the city and its outskirts assessing the flood situation.

In a statement on social media the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development said that Minister Priya Manickchand, visited several communities across the East Bank and Georgetown that were severely impacted by the flood waters, to directly engage with the residents.

Concerns as well as challenges were raised, and promises were made to address where possible via follow-up community meetings which will be convened as soon as the rainfall eases and their conditions are favourable to execute planning and intervention.

“The Minister’s walkthrough included communities in Bagotstown, on the East Bank of Demerara North and South Ruimveldt, Albouystown, Norton Street, Bent Street, Kingston, and the Koker area. At each location, she examined the extent of flooding, assessed drainage systems, and consulted with local officials and residents,” the statement said.

Manickchand reminded that the government is committed to responsive governance and proactive intervention, saying that the efforts will continually ensure the safety and well-being of citizens in all areas that are affected.

“Residents pointed out the blocking of drainage areas by other residents who had built their properties over necessary drainage and garbage blocking waterways were also visible. These are all issues that must be addressed,” said the Minister.

The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development said it will continue to work closely with relevant agencies to monitor rainfall impacts, maintain operational readiness at pump stations and Kokers and provide timely support to Georgetown communities, the ministry said.

The Department of Public Information said that Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, called on all responsible agencies to intensify monitoring efforts across the country following significant rainfall within the last 24 hours.

During a visit to the Liliendaal Pump Station and several sluices and pump stations in and around Georgetown on Saturday, the minister revealed that the city recorded more than 3.5 inches of rainfall over a 24-hour period.

In other areas, there were approximately 145 millimetres of rainfall recorded, underscoring the intensity of the weather system.

The minister noted that special teams, including engineers and technical personnel, have been deployed nationwide to monitor drainage infrastructure, ensuring that sluices, pumps, and canals are fully operational.

These efforts are part of a coordinated response to minimise flooding as rainfall is expected to continue.

Minister Mustapha expressed concerns about operational shortcomings, particularly at the Cowan Street sluice, which was found closed despite low-tide conditions. He described the situation as a serious lapse in monitoring and management within the city’s drainage system.

“The sluice was closed, although the tide was very low. And that shows that there is a serious problem with the City Council, because they are not monitoring the situation,” he said.

He emphasised that sluices play a critical role in drainage, often allowing for faster water discharge than pumps, and warned that failure to properly utilise these systems, especially at key drainage points, could worsen flooding.

The Minister has since engaged Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs), Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), with regional officials and technical teams actively monitoring conditions across the country.

He assured the public that authorities will continue working around the clock to ensure all drainage systems are functioning effectively and to minimise flooding in Georgetown and other affected areas.

Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill visited Kaikan Street in South Georgetown and inspected the community. In a video posted to his Ministry’s Facebook page he said that “Kaikan Street was one of the streets that if rain fell three weeks ago water would still be here now, and in the midst of this heavy rainfall we are checking with the communities and seeing what interventions need to be made.”

Edghill expressed satisfaction that the government’s intervention in the area has prevented floods. He said the roads there are no longer low following the use of concrete. Additionally, his ministry will be working to ensure that the pumps and sluices are in working order so that lingering waters are able to recede.

Ministers Dr. Vindhya Persaud, Keoma Griffth, Sonia Parag and Steven Jacobs also visited several communities in the city and in Region Three.

Meanwhile, the country’s main opposition party We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) in a Facebook reminded that the government allocated $73 billion for disaster preparedness and response.

“WIN hopes that those affected receive timely and adequate assistance from the $73 billion allocated for disaster preparedness and response. Year after year, the Government continues to fall short in properly preparing for the rainy season, leaving citizens exposed to repeated hardship,” the party said.

The party said that with the expansion of road networks, as well as the reduction of the drainage canals to facilitate the said development, the flooding crisis is likely to get worse. As a result, the party called for there to be comprehensive drainage and flood management systems put in place urgently or the cycle of flooding will continue unabated.

Flooding persists despite road works

Representative of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Sherod Duncan and Saiku Andrews visited the Festival City area. The Members of Parliament (MP) during a live streamed video on Credible Sources rebutted statements by Ministers Edghill and Manickchand that newly constructed streets were not flooded.

MP Andrews said, “What they did not show you is the Festival City entrance on North Ruimveldt side, and this is where I talk about politics over people. It’s more about optics than revealing the truth. Yeah, this is the condition of Festival City entrance on the North Ruimveldt side…The minister spoke about an intervention, and alluded to Kaikan Street, that that intervention is what caused Kaikan Street to not flood… It is not a deliberate intervention to alleviate flooding, because there is an intervention here, but look it is still flooded.”

During the live video, the politicians were seen walking through shin deep water as they entered the community. MP Andrews reminded that President Ali visited the community recently and “he mentioned clearing out the outfalls in terms of the canal to the back and all of that. Since then, it has made no difference because nothing significant has been done to address flooding.

“This canal at the back of North is what is the con. That is one of the biggest issues with regards to flooding because if that is not cleared properly, then there’s no outfall basically for the water to go. This is not a city council project. That is a governor central government project,” the politician said.

On March 24, Kaieteur News reported that Guyana will experience six consecutive days of unstable and potentially dangerous weather, with forecasters warning of widespread rainfall, thunderstorms and possible flooding across the country.

The Hydrometeorological Service of Guyana issued an alert for the period March 23 to 28, 2026, cautioning that persistent downpours could trigger new flooding and worsen existing conditions, especially in low-lying and poorly drained communities.

Meteorologists said the current weather pattern is being driven by a powerful combination of atmospheric forces, creating ideal conditions for prolonged rainfall.

In a statement the hydromet office said the current weather conditions are being influenced by strong low-level convergence, supported by moisture transport from the trade winds. This is further enhanced by upper-level divergence, creating a highly unstable atmospheric environment. These combined factors are contributing to increased cloudiness, frequent showers, periods of moderate to heavy rainfall, and isolated to scattered thunderstorms.

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• clogged drains, flooding, heavy rainfall, NDIA, trenches

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