Storm destroys buildings, uproots trees and power poles at Linden
Linden after the storm
Linden after the storm

A FREAK storm of considerable violence descended on the Upper Demerara mining town of Linden yesterday at approximately 16:00hrs; and by the time it had passed, some thirty minutes later, several buildings — including the Linden/Mackenzie Sports Club and numerous homes — had been destroyed; and GPL power poles and numerous trees had been uprooted, disrupting electricity to extensive parts of Linden.

A tree uprooted by the storm
A tree uprooted by the storm
A GPL pole that had been fallen by the storm, causing power outage
A GPL pole that had been fallen by the storm, causing power outage
Residents attempting to fix their roofs after the storm had departed
Residents attempting to fix their roofs after the storm had departed

A resident who made telephone contact with this reporter said she was walking home when she heard turbulent winds coming; and although terrified, she managed to save herself by lying flat on the ground and embracing for dear life anything she could wrap herself around.

“When I hear the heavy breeze (coming), I remember when I used to read books (in which) they said (you) must lie flat on the floor, cause I thought it was a tornado. I then was looking up to see if anything would fall on me. I saw people roof start coming off and wires start sparking. There was a tree not far from me that uproot!” the excited resident narrated.

The woman said that after the storm had subsided, she rushed home to see if her family members were all right. Thankfully, she said, neither her home nor those of any of her relatives had been affected by the storm, although power had been disrupted for approximately another 30 minutes.

A senior police officer attached to the Upper Demerara/Berbice division of the GPF confirmed that a freak storm had indeed passed through the mining town, and had blown off the zinc sheets of the Divisional Headquarters barracks rooms. He also confirmed that numerous buildings had been damaged and that GPL poles and trees had been uprooted; but he said there had been no reports of anyone being seriously hurt.
Written by Asif Hakim

 

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