Flooding hits Corriverton villages

Several villages in Corriverton, Corentyne, Berbice, were recently flooded following days of heavy rainfall, affecting numerous residents.

Describing the situation as a disaster, 66-year-old Theodore Urbert of Lot 753, Phase Two, Number 76 Village, told the News Room that water began accumulating in his yard after prolonged rainfall.

According to Urbert, his kitchen and garage were also inundated, forcing him to move some of his nursery plants from the area.

“Me raised my place; if I didn’t do that, I would’ve had a big pond here,” he said.

Urbert added that he had to elevate his refrigerator due to flooding in his kitchen. He noted that residents questioned the buildup of water, especially since drains in the area had recently been cleaned by an excavator.

Meanwhile, Corriverton Mayor Imran Amin said the town experienced heavy rainfall over the past few days, impacting residents in Number 76 and 77 Housing Schemes, Race Course, and Number 78 Village.

Amin explained that during the period of heavy rainfall, the kokers were closed due to high tide, causing water to back up in trenches and canals. As a result, internal drains were unable to effectively channel excess water.

He said that once the tide receded, the kokers were opened and, within one to two hours, water levels began to drop across the affected areas. A team equipped with machinery has since been deployed to assist with draining the floodwaters.

“There is routine cleaning of all internal drains within the township, with machines and CW works teams going out daily to address these issues,” Amin said.

The mayor also noted that a water pump at Number 74 Village was not functioning at the time. He said that if it had been operational around the clock, it could have significantly improved drainage efforts.