Heavy rains cause flooding and damage in Guyana

Weeks of heavy rains have flooded large parts of the South American nation of Guyana, turning communities into lakes, destroying farms and ranches.

Officials said some areas were still under two feet of water Saturday, nearly two weeks after the heaviest single day of rainfall, May 27, when about 5 inches fell in less than 24 hours, and many highways remained cut, hampering relief efforts. The country was braced for additional bouts of rains this week. The government of the country of 800,000 called a special session of Parliament on Thursday to approve emergency aid ranging from food and water to farm materials. Owners of thousands of gold and diamond mining camps also have had to abandon production as rivers overflowed their banks and rushed into mining pits.