Heavy rain causes severe flooding; schools in several regions closed

Last Updated on Thursday, 20 November 2014, 12:04 by GxMedia

Heavy rain overnight rain has left several parts of Guyana’s capital, Georgetown, and a number of coastal areas flooded.

The Ministry of Education announced that the flood has forced the closure of all government schools in the city and Regions Two, Three and Four. “Due to severe weather conditions all public schools in Regions 2, 3 4(East Bank and East Coast) and Georgetown will be closed today.  We are advising parents and guardians of children in those regions to keep their children at home as schools will be closed,” the Ministry of Education said in an advisory.

The rain, which began late Wednesday night, continued during the pre-dawn and daylight hours of Thursday morning at a time when there was high tide.  Forecasters say that the next low tide is at 8:36 AM and the next high tide will be at 3:01 PM. However, throughout this period, heavy rainfall is predicted to continue.

Residents in several areas reported that their yards had as much as six inches of water. The lower flats if many homes were inundated with water, forcing occupants to either cope with their losses or move their valuables to higher ground.

Only last week, heavy rainfall in Trinidad resulted in severe flooding of several areas and the destruction of the Mayaro/Manzanilla Road.