Flood Ravages Uyo Communities, Leaves Residents Homeless

(Uyo Flood. Photo by Nigeria Stories)

Victims of the flood that ravaged parts of Uyo metropolis have begun narrating their experiences.

The flood, which followed a heavy downpour that lasted throughout Thursday night, devastated many homes and left several residents homeless.

Speaking with our correspondent in Uyo on Friday, one of the victims, who simply identified himself as Idongesit, lamented that he could not salvage any of his belongings, as his entire house was submerged.

He said he woke up in the middle of the night to find the flood already raging, and before he could react, the entire area had been overtaken by water.

He said he tried but could not rescue a single item from his house, as all his clothes, his mattress, and everything else were destroyed by the flood.

He appealed to the state government to come to the aid of the victims without delay, describing the situation as a very serious disaster.

Also speaking, a resident of Tabernacle Road, Uyo, Mr Christian Etim, described the situation as devastating and called for urgent intervention from the state government to ease the suffering of the victims.

He said the experience was very devastating, noting that the whole of Tabernacle Road is flooded and people are suffering, and urged the government to urgently do something to assist those affected.

A resident of Ekemba Street, one of the areas worst hit by the flood, Mr Udo Okon, said he fled his flooded home with his wife and children to seek refuge in a safer location after floodwaters engulfed their house.

He said they lost everything to the flood, adding that he ran out of the house with his wife and children to safety when the water had completely taken over the building.

Our correspondent reports that thousands of people have been rendered homeless after floodwaters ravaged homes and business premises following several hours of heavy rainfall on Thursday night.

Among the worst-hit parts of the city were Abak Road, Ekemba Street, Uwah Street, and Aka Itiam Street, among other residential areas.

One victim, who shared a video of the flooded neighbourhood, raised concerns over the safety of residents after an entire building was submerged.

In the video, he called on the state government to come to their aid, saying he was not sure of the safety of other occupants of the houses, as their residence had been overrun by the flood.

While some residents blamed the flooding on poor construction work by contractors handling road projects, experts attributed it to the effects of climate change.