Devastating flood which followed a downpour Friday through Saturday has caused much havoc in the twin metropolitan Yola North and Yola South local government areas, nearby Girei LGA, as well as Ganye and Shelleng LGAs.
The flood has thrown residents into activities to mitigate its effect and the state government in flux, with the state-run emergency management agency opening a camp to accommodate particularly helpless displaced residents.
Executive Secretary of the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), Dr Muhammed Suleiman, who disclosed that the camp was opened in Yolde Pate, Yola South LGA where 219 people had so far been admitted, said, however, that no death had been recorded as a result of the flood.
Speaking about the camp and indicating during a press interview on Saturday afternoon how widespread the flood had been, the ADSEMA boss said, โThose that were displaced and cannot stay in their houses overnight, we have opened a camp for them. The government is feeding them and we have provided them with relief materials.
โThe areas affected by the flood are many. In Jimeta there are many places. So also in Yola town, and even this morning, I have received report from Shelleng where they said things were destroyed. Right now we are going with his excellency the deputy governor to Girei Local Government where there was also flooding, and I have received a report of flooding from Ganye Local Government. So, itโs flooding all over.โ
The flood in the indicated LGAs has come exactly a week after two LGAs in the northern zone of the state were cut off because a bridge linking them to the rest of the state was washed off.
The bridge in Dilchim, in Michika LGA, which had earlier been bombed by Boko Haram but around which a temporary passage was created, was further rendered unusable, making it impossible for the people of Michika and neighbouring Madagali to either leave their communities or get back if they were away before the flood.
What has happened in the state capital since Friday evening is reminiscent of the Michika/Madagali experience, as many people who left home Friday morning were unable to return home as flood had taken over their streets by evening.
Many Yola streets remained flooded as this report was being filed Saturday evening, with many residents from whose houses the flood had receded, working to put their homes back in order.
Communities worst affected by the flood in Yola North included Jambutu, Kofare, Bachure, Demsawo and Nasarawo.
The Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) which was directly affected by the flood, had to plead, on Saturday, that electricity to those areas which was cut off during the rainstorm, would not be restored until after some repair effort.
The company said in a statement mailed to our correspondent by its Senior Corporate Communications Manager, Kingsley Nkemnemel, โThis is to inform you that YEDC Jambutu injection substation is out of service due to heavy rainfall yesterday that caused flooding at the substation.โ
