–as gov’t puts relief measures in place
–relevant agencies assess the damages

FOLLOWING flood conditions which left several areas inundated on the West Coast of Demerara on Friday, the Leonora Cottage Hospital has been temporarily closed and Health Centres at Den Amstel, Uitvlugt and De Kindren will be used to address medical emergencies.

Two temporary relief centres have also been set up at the Uitvlugt Community Centre and the Uitvlugt Secondary School. The centres will house residents affected by the flooding, Deputy Director-General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Colonel Kester Craig has advised.

The impacted areas were visited by Acting Prime Minister, Mr Carl Greenidge; Minister of Communities, Mr Ronald Bulkan; Junior Minister of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings; and Junior Minister of Public Infrastructure, Ms Annette Ferguson.
According to reports, the health centres at Den Amstel and Uitvlugt are now operating on a 24-hour basis, while members of the Guyana Police Force will increase its patrols in the affected areas.

An assessment of the damage done so far by the tidal activity indicates that at the Ocean View Housing Scheme at Stewartville, 32 households have been affected by flooding.
And at the seashore at Ocean View, some of the boulders have been displaced from their original position by the wave activity. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Tuschen-Uitvlugt Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Mr Vishal Ambedkar is gathering damage information there.

So far, several household appliances have been damaged, and wood and concrete fences destroyed.
The wave was reported to be in excess of 25 feet high, and travelled a distance of over 50 feet to the roofs of some homes. This event happened at approximately 03:30 hours on Friday morning.

The CDC will be deploying 100 camp cots, 100 blankets, 100 pillows, cooking utensils and meals to the area, and this will be distributed between the two shelters at Uitvlugt.
Hot meals will be provided for the affected from Friday evening until Monday.