–as freak storm ravages Jawalla

TWENTY-nine year old Marsha Jordan saved the lives of her two daughters after the house under which they sought shelter at Jawalla in the Upper Mazaruni collapsed on Friday afternoon. However,she perished during a freak storm that ravaged the village
The woman, who was three months pregnant, died following the collapse of the house during a storm at the Cuyuni-Mazaruni village.

At the time of her demise, she and her children, aged three and 11, were seeking shelter from driving rain and violent winds under the building.
Reports are that Jordan was on her way home around 16:00hrs on Friday when they were caught in the storm.
The woman took her children under the building, but as the winds grew stronger, the building started to fall.

Eyewitness accounts are that as the building started to collapse, the woman pushed her two children from underneath it in a desperate attempt to save their lives.
Due to her selfless action, which comes with being a mother, the children were able to escape with just minor injuries. Reports are that a man, who was about to enter the house, also sustained minor injuries.

According to a medical official,a total of 12 buildings were damaged during the passage of the storm, and among them is the community’s Village Office.
Regional Chairman, Gordon Bradford,reported on social media that a number of regional officials were dispatched to the village on Saturday morning to assess the damage.
He reported that the heavy winds downed the antenna of a number of radios in the area, thereby cutting communication.

Bradford said that while the villages of Phillipai, Wayaling, Kako, Paruima,and Waramadong were not affected by the storm, the lighting system at Kamarang was down.
A resident of Jawalla told the Guyana Chronicle that the winds appeared violent, and it was a first-time experience for many in the riverside gold-mining village.

The Village Office was damaged during the storm, and communication was hampered since several high-frequency radio set antennas fell during the storm.
This is the second time for the year that the village has been affected by severe weather conditions.

In May this year, the village was inundated following prolonged periods of rainfall. It was the first time in many years that the village was affected by floodwaters.