SEVERAL parts of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, were flooded following heavy rainfall on Sunday, leaving residents stranded and disrupting activities across affected communities.
News Point Nigeria reports that videos circulating online showed floodwater rising above the waists of some residents as they struggled to salvage their belongings from the rising waters.
The affected areas include Chiomana Street in Rukpokwu, parts of the Aba Expressway, Peter Odili Road, Ozuoba, among others. However, no individual signatory was identified in the material available on the flooding.
Several vehicles were submerged, while some stranded residents were seen scooping water from their homes as the floodwaters continued to rise. Electric poles were also reportedly destroyed by the flooding.
The flooding also disrupted academic and social activities in the affected areas. Wedding guests were reportedly left stranded at the weekend after floodwaters submerged a reception venue.
Heaps of refuse and sewage floating on the floodwaters have further heightened concerns about the risk of disease outbreaks among residents, amid fears over the possible health consequences of the flooding.
The flooding, which followed torrential rainfall in the area, has been attributed to poor town planning, obstruction of natural waterways and indiscriminate dumping of refuse by many residents.
The deluge has also been linked to the development of areas that previously served as natural spillways for stormwater, potentially worsening the impact of heavy rainfall on surrounding communities.
Some residents called on the state government to come to their aid, saying they had nowhere else to go as floodwaters continued to inundate their homes.
As of the time of filing this report, the Rivers State Government had yet to issue an official statement on the flooding.
