Heavy Flood Sack Owerri, Residents, Submerged Over 30 Buildings

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Monday, September 12th, 2016

BY IGNATIUS OKPARA, Owerri

OWERRI NIGERIA, (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Residents of Amakohia axis of Owerri, the Imo state capital, South east Nigeria, weekend deserted their homes, as a result of an overwhelming flood, occasioned by a heavy downpour which submerged at least, 30 residential buildings in the area.

It was gathered that the disaster, has turned the victims into refuges in their father land, as they are now being accommodated by relations within and outsides the city, just as many are said to have relocated to their respective villages.

The rain, which lasted for close to 4 hours led to the heavy flooding, which affected residential buildings and household items valued several millions of naira.

It also collapsed the fences of several buildings, leading to water flowing into people’s homes.

Badly hit were, Mgbeahuru Street, Road C, and Road B in Amakohia Housing Estate Owerri, where the ground floors of almost all the upstairs buildings,were covered with water.

However, some of the resident of the area who do want to be quoted in the print, attributed the disaster on poor road construction by contractors engaged to rehabilitate the road from the Standard Shoe Industry Amakohia to Imo State University, IMSU junction.

They alleged that the present gutter constructed by the firm are very narrow and can no longer contain large water as the former one built by past administration.

It would be recalled that authorities of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA in Owerri, had earlier in the year warned resident of flood-prone areas to relocate to safer locations due to imminent flooding that may likely occur towards the end of 2016.