GUYANA FLOOD UPDATE: CONSERVANCY LEVEL SLOWLY

UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000086 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AEMR CASC EAID PGOV ASEC GY SUBJECT: GUYANA FLOOD UPDATE: CONSERVANCY LEVEL SLOWLY DROPPING REF: (A) GEORGETOWN 70 (B) GEORGETOWN 59 (C) GEORGETOWN 58 (D) GEORGETOWN 53 (E) GEORGETOWN 45 (F) GEORGETOWN 41 ¶1. Water levels in the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) dropped several inches from Friday January 20th's high of 58 feet 9 inches to 58.57 Tuesday, January 24 at the Flagstaff measuring site. Measurements at all locations within the Conservancy dropped or remained steady during this same period. The drop is attributed to a combination of a break in the rainy weather in the Conservancy catchment area over the weekend and the opening of the small sluice gate at Lama on the 20th. 59 feet is considered the fail safe point. ¶2. While water levels on the eastern side of the Conservancy remain dangerously high, for the moment, the Government of Guyana has avoided the widespread flooding of heavily populated areas in the Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abrary areas that would occur if the large Lama sluice is opened. The lack of reliable weather forecasts or rainfall data for the the EDWC catchment area make it difficult to predict how fast or if the levels will recede or increase. ¶3. Peace Corps lowered its Emergency Action Plan "stand fast" to "alert" for volunteers as a result of the drop in the conservancy water level and break in the weather. BULLEN