Some riverside communities in Bayelsa State have been submerged by flood, no thanks to daily rising water level due to the high rainfall experienced in the predominantly riverine state.
The residents, it was learnt were still in pain counting their losses as the flood destroyed property worth millions of naira ranging from houses, shopping malls, micro-small business, farmlands amongst others.
The worst hit communities are Asamabiri, Elemebiri, Ekperiware, and Adagbabiri situated on the bank of River Niger and its tributary, the Forcados River.
It was learnt that the Taylor creek, nun river and the orashi river have overflowed their it banks, as run water has found its way to communities in Bayelsa, as the landscape is below sea level, which requires sandfilling or reclamation to recover pieces of land.
Others are communities in Ekeremor, as well as Kaiama and Sampou in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA, and recently Agudama-Epie and parts of Swali and famgbe communities in the state capital, Yenagoa.
While some persons have been able to relocate, others are simply waiting for the state government to fulfil promises made that they bring succour to them by providing befitting designated centres to accommodate flood victims in the state.
However, aged persons in the communities whose age has diminished their strength were left with no option than to waddle inside the flood that had taken over their room kitchen and living rooms.
Women from communities in Kolokuma’Opokuma regretted the natural disaster that has inflicted hunger on them and their families, as a result of the destruction of their farmland which is their source of livelihood.
Narrating their losses as they fought back tears, they said ‘’we do not know what to do now, the government is yet to come to our aid, we feed from the farm and sales made from our produce is what we use in sending our children to school.
‘’We have become refugees in our communities, as many have relocated to little fortunate communities that were not impacted by the overflow of the Taylor and forcados rivers due to the high current rainfall.