– pump, excavator deployedBy Leonard GildarieHeavy rains pounded coastal Guyana, flooding a number of East Bank Demerara villages early yesterday morning leaving shocked residents under as much as two feet of water in areas traditionally not prone to flooding.Authorities yesterday said that initial rainfall figures estimate almost six inches of rainfall between Prospect and Craig,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, about 400 times the normal rains.Although, the koker doors at Craig/Grove and Diamond/Grove were reportedly open in the early morning hours- this was refuted by quite a few residents- the few hours of respite was not enough and waters rose rapidly leaving many of the residents unprepared.Government officials on the scene immediately ordered the deployment of a pump and an excavator to the Diamond/Grove koker to provide more relief.And following complaints by some residents, a probe has also been launched to determine whether a koker door attendant did indeed open it during the tide early Saturday morning.According to Jay,Authentic China Jerseys, who runs the popular Kings’ Beer Bar on Grove Public Road, his losses are mounting with the entire shop flooded out. The waters rose so much that it entered his downstairs bedroom also damaging music system, freezers and expensive equipment and furniture.“I don’t know what I am going to do now. This is unbelievable. I can’t even count my losses.”Water rose as much as a foot in the bar area.About 300 yards south, between Campbell Avenue and “Tank Street”,NFL Jerseys Supply, the roadside homes were also under water, a highly unusual occurrence. In Third Street, Grove Housing Scheme,China Jerseys For Sale, the scenes were the same.According to ‘Sheilo’, a greens vendor, the water started rising around 05:00 hrs and her wall divider came crashing down. There was about a foot of water in her downstairs apartment.By 13:00 hrs most of the water was down and residents were seen attempting to clean up. There were reports of snakes and fish swimming in the yards.But the residents of Diamond were the hardest hit and Kaneville in Grove was also said to be heavily hit.Several residents lost animals and one man said he lost about 20 ducks.On the Diamond sea dam area, almost 20 squatter settlements may have to be removed from the area since they are hampering drainage, Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud said.The homes, hard hit from the floodwaters, are plumb middle of a drainage basin that has now been taken over by fences and other structures.Residents there were told that it is unsafe to remain and they would have to approach the Ministry of Housing for house lots.Accompanying the Minister were Head of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, and officials of Guyana Sugar Corporation, among others.The entire New Diamond Housing Scheme was also affected as water backed up and flooded yards and several homes.Minister Persaud warned that while the drainage and regional officials will be doing their utmost, there will be instances of flash flooding and residents would have to be on the high alert.Meanwhile,Cheap Jerseys From China, the Ministry in a statement said that more rains are expected.According to the Hydrometeorological Service, the rainfall was more active along East Bank Demerara resulting with Grove/Diamond on the East Bank recording 145.0mm (5.71 inches) of rainfall within 24 hours – the highest level of rainfall recorded.The Hydrometeorological Service is advising that for the next two months, “generally average rainfall are likely to persist in Guyana”, which means at least 18 to 22 rain days in July.According to the Ministry, Persaud has instructed the deployment of a mobile pump to supplement the discharge capacity of the Grove Sluice and an excavator has been mobilised to carry out urgent works to lift an earthen dam which was removed by residents and overtopped during the heavy rainfall.