Storm batters over 100 Essequibo Coast buildings, one injured

Last Updated on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, 21:17 by Writer

More than 100 private and public buildings on the Essequibo Coast were lashed by more than 30 kilometre per hour winds on Wednesday, causing injury to one person and the temporary relocation of four persons at Henrietta village, authorities said.

Based on pictures posted on President Irfaan Ali’s Facebook page, the roofs of several buildings were ripped off.

“The storm started and then the rain and it lifted the whole zinc and everything and carry it up in that corner,” he said. “Everything was damaged in the house; nothing was saved,” he said.

Head of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) Nazrul Hussain (Ret’d Col) told Demerara Waves Online News that a teacher was injured by a falling wall at the Riverstown Primary school where she works.

No one else was reported injured there.

Mr Hussain said the woman was under medical observation as part of her recovery. “They are doing all the necessary precautionary tests to make sure that she is safe,” he said.

The CDC official said four elderly persons were relocated to relatives, pending repairs to their houses.

He said the Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) administration and central government were spearheading rehabilitation works.

“Their homes are being prioritised so that they can move in as early as possibly (sic),” he said.

Elsewhere in Guyana, he reported that there was minimal damage to buildings.

Among the buildings affected by the “gale force” winds., he said, was a stadium that is under construction.

“They had minimal to moderate damage. Nothing major except maybe at Charity where a place went down and damage to the new stadium that they are building,” he said.

A Region Two official was seen briefing President Ali and junior public works minister Madanlall Ramraj, telling them that “we have some severe damage to both private and government properties along the coast.”

Ten roofs were damaged in Lima, the official said.

The President said the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Engineering Corps has been deployed to assist the CDC in replacing roofs.

Electricity across the Essequibo Coast was knocked out but was later restored after Guyana Power and Light linesmen removed fallen poles, wires and entangled and mangled zinc sheets.