Residents of Yenagoa living in flood-prone areas in the Bayelsa State capital may experience difficulties particularly those staying along the street opposite the Medical University.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had predicted that about 19 states in the country will witness flash flooding this year with Bayelsa among them.
An independent tour by the Federated Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in the state on Monday took the team to the Imgbi area of the state where the residents lamented their predicament.
A resident of the area who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation said their recent experience was not there before the construction of the new road in their area.
She said: “This our compound is always flooded each time rains falls. If you come here when rain is falling, you will definitely swim inside the compound.
“Each time it rains, all our property will be soaked and we will be carrying them up and down to sun them. We don’t have any other place to go. That is why we are still here.
“My husband is dead. I’m the only person taking care of my children. That is why I’m still here. Every other person has moved out of the compound but I cannot afford to that. This compound is always flooded after rain but before, immediately the rain stopped, it would go away.
“But after the construction of the road, we were celebrating. Now when rain falls, everywhere will be flooded.
“We have to raise our things up including our foams and we stay inside the house until it stops and then we will start scooping water to take outside.
“This whole thing is happening like this because of this road; everywhere is blocked. I have been here for so many years. It was not like this before this road construction.
“We are calling on the government to come and help us. We have little children. We don’t have money to buy new foams but sometimes, we sleep on the floor after the rain because our foams are socked. Soon, there is another rainfall and the cycle continues.
“I’m praying to God to help me so that I will leave this place. Let God send a helper to come and help me.”
Another resident of the area, Madam Preye Jonah, lamented the flooding.
However, she said the flood comes from the canal behind her house, adding that “if the canal fills up, water runs into the street”.