Bad weather conditions have been raging for several days in Guyana. They caused multiple disasters and required the sending of equipment and food to Camopi-Trois Sauts, a remote commune, said Monday the prefect of Guyana, Marc del Grande, during a press point.
In Saint-Laurent du Maroni, "139 people have been evacuated and 99 of them have agreed to be accommodated in a gymnasium" since Sunday evening, he said.
[# Floods] in Saint-Laurent du Maroni the heavy rains and the rising tide caused the Saint-Laurent creek to overflow.
👉 Last night 139 people were evacuated and 99 agreed to be accommodated at the stadium, including 77 children. pic.twitter.com/Y16sMT5REl
Unheard of for "thirty years"
French Guiana, which has entered the rainy season, has been "vigilant" for heavy rains and high tides for several days. Another intense episode is expected within 48 hours, authorities said.
The rainfall recorded in Guyana over the past three weeks is equivalent to two years of rain in Morbihan. Unheard of for "thirty years," said the prefect.
The municipality of Camopi-Trois Sauts, located on the border with Brazil, is particularly affected. "80%" of the thousand inhabitants of Camopi have their homes flooded, according to the former mayor of the town, René Monerville, contacted by AFP.
“People are building a new tarp encampment to shelter. Some have lost all their belongings, ”said Jérémie Mata, a Camopi resident contacted by AFP on Monday.
Risks of shortage
For "four days" the river, which crosses the town, is in flood, according to this resident, who deplores the risk of shortage because of the impossibility of going as usual "to hunting, to fishing", and harvest. Some "are in the dark and light by candle", because of the momentary loss of family generators and the scarcity of "fuel".
"Two tonnes of water", "30 kg of medical equipment", clothes, shotgun cartridges, hooks, fuel and gas should be quickly transported to Camopi-Trois Sauts by air and canoes, according to Prefecture.
Excellent work and responsiveness of the State services with the support of the @GendarmerieG, the @RSMA_Gy, the @ArmeesGuyane of the @CroixRouge, the commune and the @ Sdis973. pic.twitter.com/76JScJcFOF
- Prefect of the Guyana region (@ Prefet973) May 4, 2020Paddle in the streets
Elsewhere, the phenomenon has caused power cuts and several road damage, with no casualties.
In Saint-Laurent, near Suriname, surprised by the rising waters, some had to leave their neighborhood "by swimming", according to the Guyana La 1ère radio and television channel. In Kourou, some people post their paddleboarding on the streets on social networks.
Justice
BĂ©ziers: No action in the case of the fatal floods of Lamalou-les-Bains
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