Health
How floods wash away years of savings, livelihoods in Calabar
By Emem Julius
When the flood came in early July in different parts of Calabar, the Cross River State capital, there was no time to save the television, refrigerator, clothes, or furniture. Families grabbed their children and ran as water swept through their homes in the middle of the night.
In one house, the water rose to Etim Bassey’s neck as he carried his five-year-old son to safety.
Not everyone was lucky to stay alive, though: five residents died following the flooding.
For those who survived, the flood left more than muddy streets and waterlogged homes. It washed away years of savings, destroyed livelihoods and left families wondering how they would begin again.
The rain may have subsided, but the scars it left behind remain like an open wound. Pools of muddy water filled living rooms, mattresses floated in flooded apartments, while refrigerators, televisions and other household appliances lay soaked beyond repair.
For residents of Webber and other parts of Calabar South, the nightmare began in the early hours of the morning, when floodwaters surged into homes with little warning.
Families count losses
Recounting his ordeal, a dejected Bassey, an indigene of Nkakad Ikot Ekriba residing in Atamunu, said, “Around 3 am on the fateful day, water entered my house and destroyed every household item. Chairs, a flat-screen television, beds, fridge and even my clothes were destroyed.
“The water got to my neck, and I carried my five-year-old child on my neck. If the water got to my neck, you can imagine what would have happened to a five-year-old child.”
Bassey estimated his losses at more than N5m and appealed to the state government and federal emergency agencies for assistance.
For him, the loss is not simply a list of damaged household items. It is the destruction of years of work and possessions painstakingly acquired to build a home for his family.
In Ikot Awatim, Calabar Municipality, the story was much the same. Floodwaters rushed into homes, forcing families to flee with their children as property worth millions was destroyed.
“We only managed to save our children and a few clothes. Everything else was destroyed,” one resident said.
That sentence captures the choices many families were forced to make: save a child or save a television; carry clothes or documents; escape quickly or risk returning for valuables.
Five lives lost amid landslides
For some families, however, the disaster was not measured in damaged property or lost livelihoods. It was measured in lives.
The Cross River State Emergency Management Agency confirmed that five people, including four children, died following landslides triggered by prolonged heavy rainfall in Ikot Awatim Community, Calabar Municipality.
Those who died are four children of Mr and Mrs Kingsley Edu and a tanker driver simply identified as Mr Udo.
Two houses were destroyed and two other residents were injured.
The agency’s Director-General, Efa Nyong, led a rapid assessment team alongside officials from the Disaster Management Unit of the Nigerian Red Cross Society.
Nyong described the deaths, particularly those of the four children, as heartbreaking and assured affected families of government support through humanitarian interventions.
“This assessment will document the disaster’s impact to guide government decisions on emergency assistance and long-term disaster risk reduction,” he said.
He urged residents of landslide- and erosion-prone communities to report land cracks promptly, remain vigilant and obey evacuation directives when necessary.
The agency also called for a comprehensive geotechnical assessment of the affected terrain to determine long-term safety and appropriate mitigation measures. It advocated increased public sensitisation and possible relocation of residents living in high-risk areas.
An affected resident, Bassey Patrick, commended the assessment team for responding despite the difficult circumstances.
But for residents who have endured repeated flooding, the latest disaster has reinforced an old fear: that another night of heavy rain could bring another tragedy.
Josephine Okon of Big Qua Community said flooding had plagued the area for more than five years, repeatedly destroying homes and property.
According to her, the latest flood struck around 2:30 am on Thursday, July 9, 2026, catching many residents unaware.
“When we came out, we saw that some buildings and fences had collapsed. It was terrible, especially because it happened at night,” she said.
Farmers, traders lament
The once-busy streets in parts of Calabar were left covered in stagnant water, while displaced families sought refuge with relatives, churches and in temporary shelters.
But the losses did not stop at the front doors of their homes. Agriculture, one of the main sources of livelihood for many residents, was also badly hit. Large hectares of cassava, yam, maize and vegetable farms were submerged, raising fears of food shortages and deeper economic hardship.
For farmers who borrowed money to cultivate their fields, the flood has turned a season of hope into a season of debt.
One farmer, Edem Bassey, said, “I borrowed money to cultivate my farm. Now everything is under water. I don’t know how I will repay the loan or feed my family.”
Small businesses that provide daily income have also suffered. Traders already battling inflation and declining purchasing power said the floods had wiped out stock and further weakened their ability to provide for their families.
At Watt Market in Calabar, traders said the effects were already being felt.
Madam Kate Asibong Bassey, a mother of four who sells perishable food items, said the flood had made it increasingly difficult to keep her business afloat.
“For days now, I am struggling to sell my goods, especially perishable food items. The flood has greatly affected our farmlands and, as a result, affected farm produce. Prices for food items may rise; in fact, they have started to rise already because some of these items are now scarce,” she said.
Seasonal debacle
For families across Calabar South and Calabar Municipality, the flooding has therefore become more than a seasonal inconvenience. It has become a recurring threat to their homes, livelihoods and sense of security.
In communities, including Efut Efio-Ene, Webber, Atamunu, Ikot Awatim, Big Qua and adjoining neighbourhoods, residents said heavy rainfall no longer brings relief. Instead, it brings anxiety.
For some, the sound of rain against the roof is now a warning that another night of devastation may be approaching.
As the water rises, families scramble to move children, elderly relatives and whatever possessions they can salvage to higher ground. Television sets, refrigerators, generators, documents, clothing and electronic devices are often left behind, either swept away or damaged beyond repair.
Several victims said they had no insurance cover and lacked the financial means to replace what they lost.
In Efut Efio-Ene, where residents have repeatedly appealed for intervention, floodwater reportedly weakened residential buildings, damaged access roads and contaminated the environment. Community leaders said stagnant water had increased the risk of disease outbreaks and made movement difficult, particularly for schoolchildren, pregnant women and elderly residents.
But perhaps what troubles residents most is the fear that the destruction will happen again.
They said government officials often visited after major flooding, sympathised with victims, assessed the damage and promised interventions. Yet, when the next rainy season arrives, the communities remain exposed.
For many families, rebuilding has become an annual ritual: repair the house, replace what can be replaced, borrow money to start again—and wait anxiously for the next heavy rain.
The question now is not simply how much was lost in the latest flood, but how many times these families can afford to start over.
‘We live in fear’
For residents of Efut Efio-Ene in Calabar South Local Government Area, heavy rainfall is no longer simply a weather event. It is a warning.
Many residents say they now watch the skies anxiously, knowing that another downpour could send floodwater into their homes, damage roads and put lives at risk.
They have repeatedly appealed to the government to address what they describe as a longstanding drainage problem, which they say has turned their community into a collection point for water flowing from different parts of Calabar metropolis.
Residents said an open drainage channel carrying water into Efut Efio-Ene has contributed to the persistent flooding of residential compounds and access roads, weakened buildings and destroyed property.
The Clan Head of Efut Efio-Ene, His Royal Highness Muri Ekong Umo Ekpo II, said the community had been left to bear the consequences of a drainage system that serves a much wider area.
“We are facing a lot of problems in this community because of flooding. This is because the whole water channelled throughout Calabar and environs comes directly to our area and the government has never done anything about it.
“This flood now destroys houses and properties, contaminates our drinking water and increases health risks,” he said.
The monarch said the drainage system was last properly cleared during the administration of former Governor Donald Duke in the early 2000s.
He called for the immediate desilting of the drains and urged the National Emergency Management Agency, the Cross River State Government and relevant waste management agencies to intervene and stop the devastating discharge of water into the community.
For the youth leader, Princewill Lawrence, the issue has become one of survival.
“Heavy rainfall in the coming weeks may result in catastrophic flooding, collapse of weak structures, destruction of livelihoods and possible loss of lives,” he warned.
He appealed to governments at all levels to conduct technical inspections of affected areas, deploy emergency drainage and flood-mitigation measures, and construct appropriate discharge channels, retention systems and flood-control infrastructure.
The Women Leader, Obongawan Nanke Bassey, also appealed for urgent intervention, warning that further rainfall could worsen the damage already suffered by residents.
Govt acknowledges threat
The fears of the residents have also been acknowledged by the state government.
In May 2026, Governor Bassey Otu described recurring flooding in Cross River as a growing ecological threat requiring coordinated intervention.
Otu spoke while receiving the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar, and her delegation during a courtesy visit.
“What we are witnessing is no longer just seasonal flooding; it is gradually becoming an ecological problem with far-reaching implications for our environment and the survival of vulnerable communities,” the governor said.
He called on the Federal Government and relevant intervention agencies to expedite action on critical flood-control infrastructure, stressing that proper drainage systems and ecological remediation projects would significantly reduce the impact of flooding.
The NEMA Director-General said the visit was part of nationwide activities under the 2026 National Flood Preparedness and Awareness Campaign, following emergency flood predictions for several states.
She disclosed that Cross River was among states identified as being at high risk of severe flooding in 2026.
The vulnerable local government areas include Abi, Akamkpa, Calabar Municipality, Calabar South, Etung, Ikom, Odukpani, Obubra and Obanliku.
Umar said NEMA had engaged traditional rulers, religious leaders, road safety officials and community representatives to strengthen public awareness and grassroots disaster preparedness.
She also said mitigation and preparedness documents had been presented to the state government, while technical teams were being deployed to vulnerable communities for assessments and early-response coordination.
NEMA blames poor practices
As families struggled to recover from the devastation, NEMA shifted attention to another factor worsening the crisis: the way waste is disposed of.
NEMA attributed part of the recurring flooding in Cross River to poor environmental practices, particularly the indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains and waterways.
The agency issued the warning on July 10, 2026, during an assessment of flood-affected communities in Calabar Municipality and Calabar South, a day after heavy rainfall left several communities submerged, stranded residents and reportedly caused deaths and injuries.
Leading the assessment team, the Head of Operations of NEMA’s Uyo Operations Office, Aisueni Mmandu, urged residents to take greater responsibility for their environment.
“You must know that you are your environment. For the affected communities, you must adopt responsible environmental practices to reduce recurring flooding and prevent avoidable loss of lives and property,” she said.
“Flood is avoidable if we adhere to safer environmental practices,” she said, adding that NEMA would provide flood-preparedness jingles and awareness materials for translation into local languages.
The agency also plans to intensify flood-awareness campaigns across all 18 local government areas through community sensitisation programmes and collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
The Director-General of CR-SEMA, Efa Nyong, assured affected residents that assistance would follow the completion of damage assessments.
But for residents who had watched floodwater enter their homes and destroy years of work, the warnings offered little comfort without corresponding action on the infrastructure they say has repeatedly failed them.
The Director of Flood and Erosion Control in the Cross River Ministry of Environment, James Ekabua, said many affected communities were located on natural flood plains, making them highly susceptible to flooding despite engineering interventions.
He added that rapid urban development, blocked drainage channels and other human activities had further increased flood risks, noting that professional assessments would guide government action.
Gov visits as families mourn
Two days after the disaster, Governor Bassey Otu visited some of the worst-hit communities in Calabar, where the scale of destruction and loss of lives confronted him with the human cost of the flooding.
During his visit on Sunday, July 12, 2026, Otu said his heart was “deeply burdened by the magnitude of the devastation and the tragic loss of lives.”
“No words can truly compensate for the precious lives we have lost, and I extend my heartfelt condolences to every family affected by this unfortunate tragedy,” he said.
For the families who lost loved ones, however, the governor’s visit came in the aftermath of a tragedy that could not be undone.
Otu assured residents that the state government remained committed to reducing the risk of future disasters and strengthening flood-mitigation and emergency-response systems.
He said the government was working on long-term measures, including improved drainage infrastructure and better environmental management.
“While we cannot undo the pain of this moment, we can, and we will do everything within our power to prevent a recurrence,” Otu said.
He urged affected residents not to lose hope, promising continued support as efforts to rebuild lives and restore normalcy continue.
Survivors demand more than relief materials
For the survivors, the immediate concern is how to rebuild. But beyond food, temporary shelter and relief materials, residents say they want something that will protect them from having to start all over again the next time the rain comes.
They are calling for improved drainage systems, desilting of waterways, flood-control structures and, where necessary, relocation from communities considered too vulnerable for permanent habitation.
Public health expert Dr Nsisong Ubem warned that displaced families living in overcrowded conditions could face increased risks of disease transmission.
“We are particularly worried about children, pregnant women and elderly people. The conditions are becoming increasingly dangerous,” he said.
Environmental expert Ijot Egwu said the increasing frequency and intensity of flooding in many parts of Nigeria could be linked to climate change, poor drainage infrastructure, deforestation and uncontrolled urban development.
He noted that Cross River’s geographical location and network of rivers make some communities particularly vulnerable to seasonal flooding, while increasingly intense rainfall places additional pressure on existing infrastructure.
Egwu warned that the destruction of farmlands, homes and infrastructure could have consequences beyond the immediate disaster, affecting household incomes, food supplies and local economies.
He called for proactive measures, including early-warning systems, improved urban planning, environmental conservation and stronger collaboration among government agencies, communities and development partners.
Stronger public-awareness campaigns, he added, were needed to educate residents about flood preparedness and disaster-risk reduction.
For the affected families, however, the priority is more immediate: finding somewhere safe to sleep, repairing damaged homes, replacing destroyed belongings and finding a way to earn again.
As floodwaters gradually recede in some areas, the scars remain visible—in collapsed buildings, destroyed farmlands, damaged roads and the uncertain faces of displaced families.
For them, the disaster will not end when the water disappears.
The real test, residents say, is whether the authorities can ensure that the next heavy rainfall does not once again turn their homes into death traps.
Copyright PUNCH
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: health_wise@punchng.
