By Bisola Adeyemo
No fewer than 90 buildings were ravaged by the devastating storm in Umuejem Obinze and Oforola in Owerri West council area of Imo State leaving those affected in serious distress and rendered many of them homeless.
In Oforola, four villages Umuogide, Umueke, Amaku and Umuadu were affected while Umuejem village was affected in Obinze with heavy impact, as two persons were said to have died in the incident with several others injured,
The people, who had thought that it was going to rain gently, as usual, were shocked when the heavens opened up and the shower accompanied by a windstorm that blew off their roofs and uprooted trees.
Four church buildings, over 70 electric poles and business outlets and a private school building in the area were also damaged by the storm, the Nation reports.
The incident which happened on Thursday, around 2 pm, has now forced those affected by the rainstorm in the communities to either be squatting with friends or relations or living in rented apartments.
A visit to the affected communities would leave visitors worried over the incident that befell the locals.
One of the victims was an unidentified customer who came to a brewery depot at Obinze to buy drinks. He was said to be taking shelter in the business facility when the rain started as the rainstorm destroyed the building housing the depot and a nearby church.
It was gathered that the customer died before help could come his way. The number of things destroyed in the depot was huge. Several vehicles and crates containing drinks of different kinds were destroyed.
A community leader in Umueke village, Oforola Udochukwu Atasie, disclosed that many displaced victims who could not find neighbours to squat with temporarily converted the community’s secondary school to their abode for the first two nights after the incident.
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Atasie narrated that the rainstorm occurred in the afternoon when most people had gone out to seek daily bread, declaring that the community was in pains.
The member representing Owerri West state constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly and indigene of Oforola Community, Kanayo Onyemaechi, decried the damages caused by the windstorm saying, even his own house was affected by the windstorm.
He said though, he had attracted the attention of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), his worry now was how to ensure that the poor victims rebuild their houses and return back to normal life.
According to him, the damages caused by the windstorm were humongous and could only be seen.
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency said that at least 576 people were displaced, 35 houses and over 35 poles were destroyed by the windstorm in Obinze community alone.
The acting head of the Imo-Abia operations office of NEMA, Chidi Ogundu, expressed shock at the level of damage the windstorm caused in the community.
Ogundu stated: “We are conducting a joint assessment with other humanitarian agencies in Owerri to ascertain the level of damage caused by the rainstorm. It was evident from the assessment that the rainstorm wreaked havoc at Umueje village in Obinze community causing a wide range of damage. The destruction is regrettable. It is saddening that this occurred at this time.
He said as of the time of the assessment by the joint team, one person died and three persons who he said sustained various degrees of injury were receiving treatment.
He said the assessment further revealed that millions of naira worth of goods and property were damaged.
Ogundu commiserated with the victims and promised to let the relevant authorities know about the incident for possible assistance.
