18-Hour Downpour Submerges Delta, Residents Count Losses

Families and business owners across Delta State are counting their losses after an 18-hour torrential downpour submerged major cities and communities across the state.

The heavy rainfall, which started on Sunday night and continued into Monday, disrupted economic activities and transportation in several areas, leaving homes, schools, shops, hotels and other businesses flooded.

Major commercial centres affected include Agbarho, Udu, Uvwie, Warri, Ughelli and parts of Okpe and Ughelli South Local Government Areas.

Residents in many of the affected communities were seen evacuating their homes and salvaging whatever belongings they could as floodwater submerged buildings and roads.

In Udu, one of the worst-hit areas, the popular Udu Express Junction, stretching from Ovwian to Otor-Udu, was completely overtaken by floodwater, forcing schools, shops and other businesses to remain closed.

The Udu Bridge Road down to Udu Express Junction and Orhuwhorun Road were also submerged, while communities including Ekete Inland, Ekete Waterside, Okpaka, Opete, Ovwian, Orhuwhorun, Odjikpata, Emadadja and Ujevwu were affected.

In Warri, residents were forced out of their homes as floodwater swept through areas including Ubeji, Okere, Abala Street near the Third Marine Gate of Igbudu and Okumagba Avenue.

The popular Alero Primary School and Igbudu Primary School in Igbudu were also affected, preventing some pupils and teachers from resuming academic activities.

A resident of Abala Street, Dede Victor, described the flooding as an annual occurrence, blaming the situation on the lack of adequate drainage to channel rainwater into the Warri River.

“We experience this almost every rainy season. Once the rain continues for more than a day, the road becomes flooded because there is nowhere for the water to go,” he said.

Uvwie Businesses, Homes Submerged

In Uvwie, several communities and major roads were badly affected, with residents seen evacuating their properties and abandoning flooded homes.

Areas reportedly affected include Effurun, Refinery Road, Aka Avenue, Effurun GRA, Jakpa Road, Ebrumede, Ohore 1 and 2, Ugbomro, Alegbo, Alaka, Ugbolokposo, Effurun-Sapele Road, Shaguolo in Ekpan and Niger-Cat.

Houses, shops, schools, hotels and car lots were reportedly submerged or surrounded by floodwater, leaving residents stranded and business owners counting their losses.

A hotel manager along Refinery Road, Effurun, appealed to the state government to urgently intervene, particularly on the deplorable condition of Refinery Road.

“The state government should help with this Refinery Road. You can see there is no road. All the business areas, including hotels, car lots and oil servicing companies, are flooded.

“You can see our hotel completely flooded. We pay millions as tax monthly and yearly to the government without benefit to our businesses.

“We have been cut off from business and customers due to the deplorable state of the road and flood,” he lamented.

Agbarho, Ughelli South Also Hit

In Agbarho, the Effurun-Agbarho section of the busy Effurun-Ughelli-Port Harcourt East-West Road was almost completely taken over by floodwater despite its proximity to the Agbarho River.

Several communities, including Uvwiamuge, Orhokpokpo, Oguname, Ohrerhe, Uvwiama, Oghara, Oviri, Ehwerhe, Ughwughelli, Ophori and Ekrerhavwe, were also affected.

Floodwater overwhelmed streets and homes around Orido Junction, Esiso and Oviri Junctions, which serve as major entry points into the town.

In Otokutu, Ughelli South LGA, areas including Idjedo Road, Plantation City axis, Otokutu-Egbo-Uhurie Road, River Road, Winners Chapel Road and other major streets were also badly flooded.

Parts of Otu-Jeremi, headquarters of Ughelli South, as well as Egbo-Uhurie, Iwhrekan, Edjephe, Ekakpramre and Okpare-Olomu, equally suffered flooding.

Okuokoko Residents Appeal for Urgent Intervention

In Okpe Local Government Area, several families were reportedly forced out of their homes, including residents around Princess Jokoh Close, off Freshville and Nehemiah Streets, near the Osubi-Okuokoko boundary.

A resident, who is an editor with Niger Delta Today Online, said the floodwater rose to knee level inside his apartment, destroying his belongings and forcing his family to evacuate.

“The downpour has sacked me and other neighbours from our home at Princess Jokoh Close, off Freshville and Nehemiah Streets in Okuokoko, close to the boundary between Osubi and Okuokoko in Okpe, Delta State.

“All my properties have been destroyed. My entire apartment is currently submerged.

“There are no drains in Nehemiah and other adjoining streets, while the newly constructed Freshville Street connecting Osubi is not connected to anywhere. All the water emptied into our close and homes.”

Residents appealed to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and relevant authorities for urgent intervention, including emergency assistance, evacuation of trapped residents where necessary and measures to address the drainage problems blamed for recurring flooding.

Some residents also linked the flooding in parts of the area to drainage challenges associated with ongoing construction around the DSC/Ebrumede Roundabout in Uvwie.