From Musa Muhammad Kutama, Calabar
Residents of Calabar, the Cross River State capital, are counting their losses after days of heavy rainfall triggered widespread flooding that displaced families, submerged homes and destroyed property worth millions of naira.
The persistent downpour, which has lasted for nearly three weeks, has left several communities underwater, forcing many residents to abandon their homes as floodwaters swept through residential areas and business premises.
Among those affected is The Telegraph correspondent in Cross River State, Comrade Clement James, whose residence was overwhelmed by floodwaters.
Communities worst hit include 8 Miles, Ikot Enebong, Ikot Nkebre and parts of Calabar Municipality, where hundreds of residents fled to safer locations after their homes were inundated. Household belongings and other valuables worth millions of naira were destroyed.
The latest flooding comes barely a week after floodwaters claimed several lives, including five children from the same family in the Ikot Anwatim ravine.
Similar destruction was recorded in Atimbo and other flood-prone communities, where homes were submerged and roofs ripped off by violent windstorms.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Clement James lamented the extent of the damage.
“Today’s rain has completely overrun my house,” he said, adding that floodwaters had engulfed both his compound and living quarters, destroying valuable household items.
The heavy rains also disrupted commercial and official activities across the metropolis, leaving many roads impassable and affecting businesses.
Victims have appealed to the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to urgently provide relief materials and temporary shelter, saying many affected families have been left homeless and without basic necessities.