Residents of several communities in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, have been forced to flee their homes after torrential rainfall triggered widespread flooding that submerged houses and destroyed property worth millions of naira.
The flooding affected communities including Mobil by MCC, Efio-Ette, Ibok Street off Parliamentary Road, Marian, Goldie, Atimbo by Arab, Ibom Layout, Ekpo Abasi and Esuk Atu, leaving many families displaced and causing extensive damage to homes and personal belongings.
The incident followed hours of heavy rainfall on Thursday and comes just days after a rain-induced landslide in the Ikot Anwatim area of Calabar claimed five lives, raising fresh concerns over the impact of extreme weather and inadequate drainage infrastructure in the state.
Residents were seen scrambling to salvage their belongings as floodwaters swept through homes, forcing families to evacuate children and elderly relatives to safer locations. Furniture, electronics, clothing, school materials, kitchen utensils and other valuables were among the property destroyed.
Chairman of Arab Community, Alphonsus Alphonsus, said the area has suffered repeated flooding over the years despite several appeals to the government for drainage intervention.
He disclosed that more than 100 houses were affected in the latest incident, with losses in the community alone estimated at about ₦27 million.
One of the victims, a furniture maker identified as Richard Fomba, said he and his family narrowly escaped after floodwaters suddenly inundated their home.
According to him, his wife quickly rushed their children to safety after noticing water rapidly rising inside their rooms.
The affected residents appealed to Governor Bassey Otu to urgently address the perennial flooding by constructing adequate drainage channels and implementing sustainable flood-control measures across vulnerable communities.
They also called on the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to provide relief materials and other forms of assistance to families displaced by the disaster.