Vigorous tropical wave leaves homes roofless in Guyana

A vigorous tropical wave brough storm force winds to Guyana July 7 ripping off roofs, knocking down power poles, trees and buildings. It was a wave that forecasters thought would have developed into a cyclone. (Satellite image: NOAA)

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, July 9, 2007 - A vigorous tropical wave, which forecasters previously expected to become a tropical depression, brought strong tropical storm force winds and heavy rains to Guyana ripping off roofs, knocking down power poles, trees and buildings.

Winds of 90 to 108 kilometers per hour (56 to 67 miles per hour) lashed several coastal and near inland regions Saturday evening.

The system in question was a tropical disturbance which forecasters at the hurricane centre in Miami were expected to become a tropical depression over the weekend, however the vortex of the system became separated from the main area of thunderstorms and the low pressure system opened into a broad tropical wave.

Another strong tropical wave is on the way and the forecast calls for thunderstorms for the rest of the week.

Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six were among the affected regions.

The Hydrometeorological Service stated that the tropical wave had a low to mid-level cyclonic circulation and that as it is the time of the annual hurricane season Guyana’s weather will occasionally be influenced by tropical waves and depressions during this period.  Guyana is just outside of the hurricane belt.

Regional Vice-Chairman of Region Six Dennis Deoroop said that the entire Corentyne Coast was suffering from power outage as a result of numerous poles falling. However, the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) is working to restore power to the region.

Deoroop said from reports he received, there were damages at several communities with Lesbeholden, Black Bush Polder being one of the most severely affected. He said a few unoccupied houses collapsed and the zinc sheets were ripped off the area’s primary school. Several houses suffered a similar fate.

The Tarlogie government building, the Neighbourhood Democratic Council office and the Guyana Elections Commission Office also had their zinc sheets torn off.

The Vice Chairman said NDC workers were mobilised to recover the sheets for the affected government buildings while villagers were re-fixing their roofs.

Region Five’s Vice Chairman, Karran Persaud Deokarran said some areas in his region were also severely affected. These include Mahaica and Mahaicony where several buildings had their zinc sheets ripped off.  Several trees fell across electrical wires, knocking poles down and causing a power outage. Among those that suffered were the regional building, the sea defence office at No 7 village, the No 8 primary school and the NDC centre at Blairmont .

Yesterday GPL had already repowered from Onverwagt to Ithaca and from Plantain Walk to Blairmont and was continuing its operations to restore normalcy.

Region Three’s Chairman Julius Faerber said that except for minor incidents, the Region was largely unaffected.