Tension as Flood Displaces 5,000 Anambra Residents

By Our Reporter

Over 5,000 persons have been displaced by flash flood that ravaged parts of Anambra State on Tuesday.

The flood followed a heavy rainfall that lasted several hours, leaving roads, farmlands and houses submerged.
Checks by AnambraDaily reveals that over 40 vehicles were also submerged during the incident.

This paper also learnt that a team comprising NEMA and SEMA officials also visited Ire village ogidi, Obosi, Amawbia, Ngozika Estate in Awka, Uruagu Nnewi, Ozubulu among other areas for an assessment of the level of devastation done by the flood on Tuesday.

The heavy rain which started the early hours, around 4 o’clock lasted till 11 o’clock Tuesday morning leaving so many residents homeless and stranded.

Residential houses, farmlands, shops, and public facilities including churches were waterlogged while vehicles parked at different compounds were also submerged.

One of the victims at Ire village, Ogidi, Mrs Love Nnoka narrated her ordeal yearly and said their nightmare began after a catchment pit was dug in the area by successive administrations in the state.

Another resident Mrs Joy Okeke who said she lost every household effects also shared her experience with Radio Nigeria.

At Nnewi, a lady was not lucky as the flood swept her while trying to take shield due to the heavy rain that flooded the road from Nkwor Nnewi to Nkwor Oraifite.

A Community leader, Prince Moses Obi from otolo Nnewi narrated that the corpse of the lady was recovered by a search team at a nearby river.

For Mr James Sunday, six rooms under construction were pulled down by the flood at Nise road , Amawbia in Awka South Local Government Area.

The Executive Secretary Anambra State Emergency Management Agency SEMA, Chief Paul Odenigbo while sympathizing with the flood victims regretted that blockage of drainage channels and improper termination of waterways were major causes of the incident in some parts of the state.

According to him, there is need for residents to minimize their activities including vehicular and human movements during rainfall because of the likelihood of flooding.

Chief Odenigbo while sympathizing with those affected by the flash flood noted that predictions from relevant agencies confirmed that there will continue to be heavy rain this October across the nation underscoring the importance of everyone being safety conscious.

After inspecting the level of damage , the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA described the incident as massive and disastrous.

In an interview the Zonal Cordinator, NEMA Enugu Zonal office, Mrs Ngozi Echeazu noted that their findings will be related back to the Federal and State governments for further actions.

According to a Radio Nigeria report, one person lost biz life while 3 sustained various degrees of injuries while household effects worth muons of naira were destroyed by the flood.