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Flood victims in Webber, Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State, are counting losses running into millions of naira after flash floods submerged homes, destroyed properties and claimed two lives on Thursday.
The downpour, which started around 3:00 am and lasted for hours, overwhelmed the Calabar drainage channel and left several families displaced in the area.
Etim Bassey Edet, an indigene of Nkakad Ikot Ekriba who resides on Atamunu Road, said he had to carry his five-year-old child on his shoulders to prevent the child from drowning.
“Since 3:00 am on Thursday, water got into my house and destroyed every household item. Chairs, a flat-screen television, beds, a fridge, and even my clothes were destroyed,” he said.
“The water got to my neck and I carried my five-year-old child on my neck. If the water got to my neck, you can imagine what would have happened to a five-year-old child.”
Etim estimated that he lost household items worth more than ₦5 million. He added that he is yet to receive assistance from state or federal emergency agencies.
Another resident, Oscar Daniel, said the flood destroyed vital appliances and infrastructure.
“All our appliances are damaged, and over 30 families were affected within this vicinity alone. Over ₦20 million worth of items have been damaged in this place alone,” Daniel said.
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He called for urgent government intervention, including the construction of underground drainage and the covering of the entire stretch of the Calabar channel to check the overflow of floodwaters.
“The water level has risen significantly, and if measures are not taken immediately, this is what we will be experiencing often, and more damages will occur,” he warned.
The heavy rain also ripped open parts of the canal along Mayne Avenue. Beyond property damage, two lives were lost after floodwaters overflowed the channel.
Henry Okon, a resident of Calabar South, called for the proper maintenance of the Calabar channel, warning against token measures whenever the canal overflowed.
He also urged the government to create alternative drainage channels within the Calabar metropolis to handle the increasing volume of floodwater in the Calabar channel.
Some other victims appealed to both the state and federal governments for relocation assistance and urged officials to visit the affected communities to assess the level of destruction first-hand.
Meanwhile, the Head of Operations at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Uyo Operations Office, Aisueni Mmandu, called for stronger collaboration among government agencies and communities to reduce the impact of floods across the state.
She stated that the agency would intensify public sensitisation campaigns on flood prevention and disaster preparedness across all 18 local government areas and blamed the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drains and waterways for worsening the flooding.
