Rainstorm causes havoc in Calabar, Plateau



What is supposed to be a blessing turned to a curse as residents in Calabar, Cross River State capital and Pleteau are counting their losses after a rainstorm that ravaged the cities on Sunday.

The rain which came lasted over six hours pulled down houses, blew of roofs and serious flooding in many parts of the calabar.

A statement by the State Emergency Management Agency said 350 residential and public homes in the Calabar South and calabar Municipality were severly affected.

Most residents including women and children were forced to spend the night in the open as they watched their property being swept away to large drainages.

They wept as they watched their household property such as electronics, mattresses, kitchen utensils, clothes and food stuff floating away right before them and they could nothing about it.

Places affected visited by our reporter to ascertain the level of damage revealed household items scattered all over, while victims were seen scooping water from their houses.

It was observed that the flooding was principally caused by blocked drainages by debris and refuse and the narrow nature of some channels which could not contained the high water volume.

Mrs. Theresa Idum a widow who refused to be consoled lamented the loss of her house which collapsed and all the property in it lost to the flood.

She appealed to the state Government to urgently rebuild the house.

Mrs. Grace Minika who had her compound of 5 buildings ravaged and part of the walls pulled down said that the angry flood found its way to the compound though a broken wall from another street Elijah Henshaw few poles away.

The Director General of SEMA, Mr. Vincent Aquah who assessed the disaster sympathized with the victims and promised that the relevant agencies would collaborate to tackle the problem.

Mr. Aquah commended the state government for embarking on a massive road and channel construction which has greatly reduced the effect of the disaster which he said could have been more devastating.

Meanwhile, Over 84 houses including shops, schools, police station and worship centres have been destroyed by a rainstorm in Dorowa village in Ropp district of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The destruction left several people homeless and some squatting with relatives within the locality pending the renovation of their houses.

Such thunderstorm is nothing new to the community. It has caused unquantifiable destruction in the village within the last five years, with the recent downpour having the most devastating effect on dwellers.

The affected schools will have to suspend academic activities pending when they get renovation assistance.

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