In a very distressing turn of events, residents of Makurdi, the capital of Benue State, woke up to a deluge of floodwaters on Monday, as a relentless downpour, spanning nearly 12 hours, inundated the city.
The tempestuous rain commenced with a gentle drizzle around 10 pm on Sunday night, gradually intensifying as the clock ticked towards 4 am on Monday morning, and persisting until approximately 10 am. This meteorological onslaught left a trail of flooding in its wake, with particularly hard-hit areas including Wurukum, Achusa, and segments of Gboko Road.
Amid the chaos, the plight of students at Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, previously known as the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, painted a grim picture. Stranded in the early hours of Monday, they found themselves unable to access the road leading to their university campus.
Mimidoo Gundu, a student union leader at the university, voiced her concerns and appealed for immediate assistance, saying, “This morning, water blocked the road that links SRS Junction to Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, around Antsa and Ichwa respectively. This has been a monumental obstacle for staff members and students attempting to reach school, and it is profoundly disheartening. I implore the federal and state governments, as well as the school management, to address this issue promptly, before it exacerbates and causes road damage.”
Meanwhile, Tony, a resident of Achusa, shared his harrowing experience, revealing that his house had succumbed to the floodwaters, submerging his cherished belongings. Expressing added concerns, he remarked, “We even heard of an impending flooding due to the release of water from the Ladgo Dam in Cameroon. If we are already submerged now, what will happen when the main flood arrives?”
The human toll of this flood crisis is evident, as residents grapple with the immediate challenges of displacement and the looming threat of further inundation. Local authorities and relief agencies are now under mounting pressure to swiftly respond to this unfolding humanitarian crisis and protect the affected communities from further devastation.
Seeing that this is a repeated situation happening yearly, there are several steps the government can take to address the flood situation by doing the following.
First, providing Emergency Response and Relief and
Flood Forecasting and Monitoring. This can help people prepare and evacuate in advance of severe flooding.
There is also a need for conservation methods and community education to prevent building in flood prone areas.
