PERSONS residing along the banks of rivers and low-lying coastal areas are advised to take all necessary precautions in the event of flooding during the current spring-tide period which began on Wednesday and is expected to end tomorrow.

Although there have been no official reports of flooding in high-risk areas, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MoPI) is warning persons to be vigilant and cautious during the period.
According to a public advisory from the ministry, the Sea and River Defence Department considers several areas to be particularly susceptible to possible flooding due to storm surges which may induce overtopping of sea or river defence structures.

Those areas include Johanna Cecilia-Zorg, Charity and along the Pomeroon River Banks; Zeelandia, Good Success to Sarah-Wakenaam Island; Thierens-Success, Cane Field-Amsterdam, Endeavour-Blenhen, Cane Garden-Leguan Island; Windsor Forest to DeWillem, West Coast Demerara; Parika Market Area and Salem to Sparta, East Bank Essequibo; Kitty to Turkeyen in Georgetown; Chapman Grove-Greenfield, on the East Coast Demerara; and Helena Numbers 1 and 2 and Mahaica.

The highest tides were recorded on Friday at 3.13 metres, and on Saturday at 3.14 metres.
In light of what has been recorded so far, the ministry is advising that precaution should be taken by all mariners, including those operating fishing vessels and larger vessels, and against the use of beaches and foreshore areas for recreational purposes.

Early this year, several villages and communities on West Demerara were inundated after heavy rainfall and high tides resulted in the breach of the sea defence in that area.