Heavy thunderstorms and powerful winds blew down trees and damaged several houses across the mining town of Linden on Tuesday night, triggering a call by officials of the town for the Civil Defence Commission and the Government to step in with urgent relief measures.

According to officials, at least 25 houses have been badly damaged. In some cases, roofs collapsed completely or were blown off. Additionally, a number of large trees in a number of areas were uprooted by the thunderstorms and collapsed onto houses, vehicles and the roadways.

The thunderstorms left a streak of devastation for many Lindeners, as flood waters also rushed into many homes.

Region 10 Officials along with Town Council officials were on the ground last night, meeting with affected residents as many of them counted their losses and assessed the damages to their properties.

Mayor of Linden, Sharma Solomon said there has been significant flooding reported in a number of communities across Linden and residents are in need of help. He said the Town Council with the support of businesses in the community has been offering some help, but there is need for a large scale response.

The Mayor said the poor drainage situation in the town has contributed to the flooding, adding that the Regional and Municipal Councils have both been pressing the Government to begin emergency works. He said while the Government continues to meet and assess, residents are suffering.

“In the past couple of days, we have seen some unnecessary politics of this particular issue that is prolonged and plaguing this community, over five months of Linden flooding, and this is not something I grow up seeing”, Solomon explained.

He said there is an urgent need for the dredging and maintenance of the creeks, the canals and the outfalls in the town as well as for emergency drainage works to be completed. Solomon said there is no time for politics to be played, as people are suffering.

“The drainage system is clogged and there is need for urgent works and not the cosmetic interventions, there is a need for real interventions as we have been saying. In fact, since the 10th, two Thursdays ago, a letter has been on the Prime Minister’s desk saying exactly that, and instead a week after, he had an engagement with some people who are still waiting for that intervention. And that is the point that we have been making. This is not a matter to negotiate, this is an emergency that requires like in anywhere else in the country, immediate intervention of emergency spending, this does not require a group going to Georgetown and today we are still measuring from that group’s intervention. Yesterday they were still measuring. They were told on Monday that works would have started and still nothing and then yesterday it rained. This does not require politics for people to look good, this requires process and protocols, and for them to follow what is there”, the Mayor said.

In a statement, Deputy Mayor Dominique Blair said the Government needs to release immediate funds to assist families whose homes have been destroyed.

Some homeowners have complained about more than three feet of water rushing into their homes whenever it rains in the town.

The Mayor said in its efforts to starve the Regional and Municipal Councils of the funds and resources to get drainage works done, the Government has turned to its families, friends and favourites in the town, and the work done by them is already falling apart.

Regional and Town officials intend to continue their assessment of the damages caused by the thunderstorms and flooding. They have said they intend to continue to press the government to make urgent and serious interventions.

Related posts:

Emergency works to be done in Linden to address flooding -Mayor Solomon Prime Minister blames Mayor and Town Council for flooding in Linden; Government activates response Parts of Linden under flood water as creeks and drains overflow Flood waters will begin to recede once tide changes -State Minister