Over 5,000 residents have been displaced following a flash flood that ravaged several parts of Anambra State after a heavy downpour lasting several hours.
The torrential rain, which began around 4a.m. and lasted till 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 7, left roads, homes, farmlands, and vehicles submerged, particularly in Ire Village, Ogidi, Obosi, Amawbia, Ngozika Estate in Awka, Uruagu Nnewi, and Ozubulu.
According to Radio Nigeria Correspondent, Uche Ndeke, more than 40 vehicles were submerged, while hundreds of residents were rendered homeless.
Following media reports on the incident, a joint assessment team from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) visited the affected areas to evaluate the level of devastation.
Eyewitnesses narrated their ordeals, with Mrs. Love Nnoka of Ire Village blaming the recurring floods on a catchment pit dug by successive administrations, while Mrs. Joy Okeke said she lost all her household belongings.
In Nnewi, tragedy struck as a young woman was swept away by floodwaters while seeking shelter near the Nkwo Nnewi–Nkwo Oraifite road.
Her body was later recovered by a search team at a nearby river, according to community leader Prince Moses Obi of Otolo Nnewi.
Similarly, Mr. James Sunday, a resident of Amawbia in Awka South, said six rooms under construction on Nise Road were destroyed by the flood.
The Executive Secretary of Anambra SEMA, Chief Paul Odenigbo, sympathised with the victims and identified blocked drainage channels and poorly terminated waterways as major causes of flooding in parts of the state.
He urged residents to avoid movement during heavy rainfall and remain alert, noting that weather predictions indicate continued heavy rains throughout October.
After assessing the damage, NEMA’s Zonal Coordinator, Mrs. Ngozi Echeazu, described the flooding as massive and disastrous, promising that their findings would be submitted to the Federal and State Governments for appropriate intervention.
Radio Nigeria reports that one life was lost, three persons sustained injuries, and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.
Residents of the affected communities have appealed for government assistance, following visits by Governor Chukwuma Soludo and officials from NEMA and SEMA to the impacted areas.
Reporting by Uche Ndeke