A devastating flood swept through Ondo Town, Ondo State, on Saturday, October 5, destroying properties worth millions of naira and displacing numerous residents.
The disaster, which followed a prolonged heavy downpour on Friday, submerged homes, vehicles, and left many areas of the town in ruins.
Among the worst-hit areas were Itanla, Oka, Odo Ijomu, Bethlehem, and parts of the Akure-Ondo Expressway, where streets and houses were flooded, forcing residents to flee for safety.
Despite the extensive property damage, no lives were lost in the incident, according to reports, Vanguard reported.
In response to the chaos, the Acting Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, immediately ordered the evacuation of residents from the affected areas.
The state government has also initiated a rapid response to prevent further damage.
Oyeniyi Oseni, the state’s Commissioner for Environment, confirmed the government’s actions in a statement.
He noted:
“The state government has mobilized resources to evacuate residents in the flooded areas and ensure their safety. We are doing everything possible to halt further damages.”
Commissioner Oseni attributed the flooding to the blockage of waterways, exacerbated by unapproved developments in certain estates along the Ife Road and Fagun areas.
He assured residents that the government was taking steps to address the issue.
Oseni added:
“We have deployed Amphibious Excavators into critical erosion-prone areas for immediate dredging.
“This is part of our long-term plan to prevent future flooding, and we are working with the relevant sections of the government to address unlawful developments on these waterways.”...Read Full Article [Click Here>]
Residents in the affected areas have expressed concerns over the possibility of further flooding, particularly as the rainy season continues.
A resident of Itanla, Mr. Akindele, whose home was submerged, said:
“We are scared that if nothing is done quickly, we might lose everything. The flood came so suddenly, and we had to leave all our belongings behind.”
Another resident, Mrs. Olamide from Odo Ijomu, described the situation as overwhelming.
She said:
“I’ve never seen anything like this. We are grateful for the government’s quick response, but we hope this does not happen again.”
See the video here:
ONDO FLOOD UPDATE: GOV AIYEDATIWA DEPLOYS SEMA, AS OSEMAWE, OSENI VISIT DREDGED CANALS.
As part of the response to the flash flood in Ondo on Friday, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has directed officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to mobilise to the… pic.twitter.com/EV6z38rPUK
— SEYILAW (@seyilaw1) October 5, 2024
