Flood Destroys 1,838 Houses In Gombe – SEMA Confirms

The 2023 flood disaster in Gombe State reportedly resulted in the death of at least three lives and injuries to 22 individuals.

The Gombe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists, Naija News reports.

The statement noted that seven animals perished and a total of 1,838 houses and 257 farmlands were destroyed between May and October 2023.

The Executive Secretary of the agency, Abdullahi Abdullahi, disclosed these details during an interactive session with newsmen in Gombe on Thursday. Contrary to the 2023 Flood Outlook’s prediction of three local government areas (LGAs) being affected, eight out of the 11 LGAs in the state experienced the disaster.

Abdullahi listed the worst-hit areas to include Akko, Funakaye, Balanga, Gombe, Nafada, Kaltungo, Shongom, and Yamaltu/Deba.

According to him, the heavy rains, accompanied by strong windstorms, caused significant damage to farmlands and affected farmers in the impacted communities. To alleviate the suffering of the disaster victims, the government distributed relief materials.

Furthermore, the state government is actively working to expand the range of support services provided to all affected communities.

“Gov. Inuwa Yahaya has approved relief materials for some communities affected. We have also submitted reports of flooding in the remaining communities, and efforts are on to also provide relief materials to them,” Abdullahi revealed.

He further mentioned that the organization had sent correspondence to both the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) in order to expedite assistance for the affected individuals.

Addressing the consequences of the current year’s flood, Abdullahi expressed that there was a decrease in the loss of lives. He further emphasized that the successful implementation of awareness campaigns played a significant role in achieving this outcome.

“Upon receiving flood alert from NiMet and NASA, Gov. Yahaya directed massive sensitisation as well as activation of emergency response to mitigate the impact of the disaster.

“This helped in creating awareness amongst residents of the state,” the official said.

While commending the state government for supporting the victims of the flood, Abdullahi appealed to those yet to be reached to exercise patience.

He added: “The state government and other relevant agencies are aware of your plight and making efforts to assist you and I assure you as soon as we receive the materials, we will reach out to the affected communities.”