Wednesday, 27 September 2017

Flood: River Nun overflows bank, submerges Tombia community in Yenagoa, Bayelsa.


 The River Nun, a tributary of River Niger has overflown its bank and submerged residents along its bank in Yenagoa, Bayelsa capital.

The residents of Tombia community in Ekpetiama kingdom, Yenagoa Local Government Area woke up  Monday morning to find out that flood had overtaken the community.

The flooding is sequel a surge from the River Nun which burst its bank over night as inhabitants are now left in shock over the development as vast farmlands with crops, houses and other valuables have been overtaken by the rampaging waters.

Some of the residents in the area who narrated their ordeal to a NAN correspondent said some houses as well as farmlands and fishing gear had been lost to the disaster.

Bayelsa was listed by the Nigerian Meteorological Servises Agency as one of the flood prone states in its 2017 rain forcast.





President of the Ekpetiama Youth Association, Mr. Peter Otobotekere said the community had been experiencing perenial flood challenge since the 1950s appealed to government to come to their aid.

Community members say only a shoreline protection infrastructure would save the area from the perennial flooding challenge they face when the river overflows its banks.

When Contacted, Mr Williams Alamene,  Bayelsa Commisioner of Environment for Environment said that he was not aware of any flooding incident.

Meanwhile there has been indications of rising water levels across the many river banks across Bayelsa in recent weeks.

Mr Alagoa Morris, a renowned  Environmentalist has urged the state government to act on the available disaster warnings and improve on its flood preparedness to mitigate the effect of any likely flooding incident.

Bayelsa was amongst the worst hit states in the 2012 flood disaster which resulted to the setting up a flood committee.

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