Reg. 9 single mother loses house to flooding while hospitalised

A Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) single mother of two, who is currently hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital, has lost her house to flooding.

The woman’s brother only made this discovery on Monday – weeks after the flooding.

Thirty-year-old Fay James, of Apoteri Village, relayed to the News Room on Tuesday that her losses are estimated to be in the millions, with her garden, critical documents, electronics and home appliances destroyed.

She said her entire house is currently inundated in about 11 feet of water. The distraught woman has been a patient at the hospital for over a month; it was only after her brother informed her about the flood that she decided to send him to check on her house located in a secluded area some 45 minutes from Apoteri Village.

“My brother told me that the water is higher than usual because we have a marking in Apoteri that we use to tell when the water is higher…so I sent him and when he went, he saw everything damaged.

“The whole house is flooded, and my stuff damage. My freezer, generator, solar battery, my cameras, my canning equipment, all underwater. My house is five feet off the ground and the water is almost to the window,” the woman told the News Room.

Fay lived in the area alone and had stocked up on supplies and medicine, all of which were damaged. Importantly, the woman said her critical documents were locked in a safe but unfortunately, water seeped in and damaged them.

“All of the stuff were upside down when my brother got there. I couldn’t save anything.
“I was not expecting the flood to come like this…I don’t know what to do anymore…”

Fay, who said that she feels “stranded” at the hospital, is expected to be discharged soon but is unaware of her next move.

Region Nine has been one of the worse hit by the floods and heavy rain, with a number of farms and roadways inundated; the area is still bracing for the worse in the coming weeks as the rainy season continues.

According to the Guyana Civil Defence Commission (CDC), more than 25,000 households are impacted by flooding in more than 300 communities across Guyana since May 18.