BREAKING NEWS Rising floods bludgeon St Cuthbert’s Mission

RAPID RISING RAINWATER destroyed millions worth of farm products and now the very
existence of the 1700 St Cuthbert’s Mission residents is at risk, warned newly-elected Toshao
Timothy Andrews.
“We have a serious situation right now where the flood water has risen to several inches in
certain parts of the community, and the thing is that we are in desperate need of help. The
residents are worried, they are fearful because the enormous amounts of losses thus far, is in the
vicinity of millions of dollars,” Andrews said in an interview with this media house.
Toshao Andrews and a team of Councillors Saturday night were monitoring the situation he
described as “very dangerous and worrying”.
Flood waters easily brushed aside strenuous prevention efforts by concerned residents and by
Sunday, in certain sections of the community, the water rose several inches, the Village Leader
disclosed.

“This community has lost a lot so far and our losses are increasing rapidly and so far, we have
not received any indication of help from the Regional authorities at the Regional Democratic
Council (RDC) or from the [Central] Government,” Andrews said.
He said residents have begun aggressively combatting the rapidly rising flood waters for several
hours and now desperately need backup.
“We are in a really bad state and need help,” Toshao Andrews pleaded.
Already several families in the Mahaica River community have been severely affected, and the
numbers are expected to spike.

Meanwhile, former Toshao, Leeland Clenkian previously unaffected areas are now flooded by
as much as seven inches of water by Sunday morning by continuous torrential showers.
“What we are seeing we have not seen in the past for several years and this is very worrying, but
we are hopeful that the water will recede quickly as indeed many persons have suffered greatly
from the flood,” Clenkian said.
The former Toshao said that several homes are faced with four to six feet of flood waters.
“I have my two to three drains that usually don't have water are now overflowing. Places that
never use to get water even when there was a flood saw waters at six to seven inches. It is
receding but slowly. From the Landing by the Mahaica River there are some families there along
that area have seen their bottom houses inundated with some five to six feet of water,” Clenkian
said.

The former Village Leader disclosed that an area within the Mission, Kunuballi, is so far the
worst-hit community with flood waters estimated at some six feet.
“In the Kunuballi there are those farmers who have practically lost everything…in excess of
millions of dollars in losses. There are a lot of persons who have suffered losses but, in my
estimation, I think it might be about six farmers who have suffered greatly,” he said.
St Cuthbert’s Mission is situated on the left bank of the Mahaica River. It is surrounded by savannah
and shrubs on the east side, and dense vegetation on its west. Because of its very flat topography, the
village and surroundings are flood-prone.

The nearest large settlements to this mainly-Amerindian community, are the capital city,
Georgetown 57 miles away and Mahaica, some 65 miles away by boat.