The Gombe State Emergency Management Agency has said that no fewer than 2,517 houses and shops have been either completely or partially destroyed by flood which ravaged 33 communities in the state.
The Deputy Director, Relief and Rehabilitation of the agency, Ibrahim Nalado, disclosed this in an interview on Saturday in Gombe where he said that the communities affected were in Dukku, Funakaye and Billiri Local Government Areas of the state.
According to him, the areas were flooded due to the heavy downpour that occurred between Aug. 12 and Aug. 22.
He said, “In Dukku LGA, 10 communities were affected. In Funakaye LGA, 20 communities were affected and in Billiri LGA, three communities were affected.”
“The flooding and windstorm affected mostly houses and a few farmlands in the communities”, he said.
Although no lives were lost, two children were injured in Dukku, including seven animals which were washed away.
Speaking further on the impact of flooding on farmlands, the deputy director said Hina community in Yamaltu/Deba LGA of the state was the worst-hit.
He said that not less than 1000 hectares of rice, maize, sorghum and millet farmlands were submerged in water.
The deputy director stated that his team visited the Hina community on Friday, Aug. 30, to assess the level of damage.
Nalado described the impact of the flooding as ‘huge and devastating’ in view of the vast area affected.
“Farmers were getting ready to harvest their crops.
“The farmers were so worried but because it was a natural phenomenon, they accepted it in good fate,” he said.
The deputy director stated that data on the number of farmers affected by the flood were being collated at Hina.
Nalado stated that his agency had assessed the level of damage and were compiling the reports to forward to the state government and other relevant agencies.
