Flood chases people away from homes, churches in Rivers

Some residents of Port Harcourt, Rivers State have been forced to evacuate their houses following weekend’s downpour that resulted in a great flood in the area.

There was panic in Rumuolumeni community, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state, following the flood that submerged over 100 homes and four churches in the area. The heavy downpour which lasted two days in the state also took over Afam Road, some parts of Trans Amadi Road, which is under construction. Several other parts of the state capital were also flooded.

As at the time members of the press were covering the areas affected, the state office of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, was also reported to have been taken over by the flood waters with some vehicles parked in the premises submerged. Also, residents of Rumuuokalogbo area of Port Harcourt were battling with the flood in the area, as property worth millions of naira were destroyed as a result the down pour on Saturday and yesterday.

It was also learned that church services could not hold at several worship centres in the area yesterday, due to the flood compounded by a blocked canal in the area.

In the meantime, Governor Nyesom Wike went round Port Harcourt yesterday and sympathised with families displaced by the flood, promising that his government will take hard decisions to address the flood problem.

One of the people whose house was affected, Mr. Inyesoemi Benibo, noted that several properties belonging to churches and residents in the area were destroyed in the flood. He blamed the flood on failure of the company that handled the Rumuolumeni-Iwofe Road project to properly channel water into the canal. Benibo expressed worries that residents of the area had approached the company and complained that the drainage was not properly handled, noting that a blockade of the drainage which obstructed the free flow of water led to the flooding.