Widespread flooding has inundated Guyana, swamping roads, homes and farmland throughout the small South American country.
More than 6,900 households across the country have been severely affected by the flooding in the past several weeks, according to government estimates.
One video taken from a boat shows water stretching for what appears to be miles along a waterfront road, reaching more than halfway up two-story houses.
“This is madness,” a woman says in the video, adding that she has never seen such flooding in more than 60 years of living in the Kwakwani section of Guyana.
Officials have said that the flooding could exacerbate the spread of the coronavirus and lead to other health problems if residents can’t find clean food and water. The destruction of crops, homes and livestock could also lead to economic devastation for some families in the hard-hit regions of the country, one of South America’s poorest. Bordering the Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela, Guyana is home to about 790,000 residents.
Forecasts suggest that the heavier-than-normal rainy season — which has already been blamed for the severe flooding — could continue into July.
