Weeks of relentless rainfall have unleashed widespread devastation across Calabar, the Cross River State capital, leaving at least 10 people dead, destroying homes and infrastructure, and disrupting daily life across the city.
The torrential downpours, which began in the first week of July, have continued almost without interruption, inundating major roads, flooding residential communities, and forcing many residents to remain indoors.
The persistent flooding has crippled economic and social activities, with schools recording low attendance as many pupils were unable to reach their classrooms. Markets have witnessed a sharp decline in commercial activities, while the city’s once vibrant nightlife has been brought to a standstill.
Although Calabar is traditionally one of Nigeria’s wettest cities because of its coastal location, residents say the intensity and frequency of this year’s rainfall are unprecedented. The prolonged downpours have triggered a series of landslides and floods that have claimed lives and destroyed property estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of naira.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred at Ikot Anwatim in the northern part of the city, where a massive landslide caused several buildings to collapse into a gully. Five people were reportedly killed, including four children from one family. In another tragic incident, a father died after he was buried in mud while attempting to rescue his children from the landslide.
Elsewhere along Elijah Henshaw Street, a man reportedly drowned after he was swept away by raging floodwaters. At nearby Webber Street, floodwaters carried away a one-year-old child, while two children also lost their lives in a similar incident at Otop Abasi.
Another landslide at Boropit, in the Idim Otop area, brought down a residential building, trapping two girls beneath the rubble. They were later recovered dead by rescue workers.
The latest disaster struck at Diamond Hill, near the former Unicem headquarters, where severe coastal erosion and landslides swept several houses into the adjoining sea. The incident also left a major access road leading to the Nigerian Naval Base and the Calabar Jetty badly damaged, raising fresh concerns over public safety and the vulnerability of nearby communities.
Residents have expressed growing concern over the increasing frequency of flooding and landslides, calling on the government to implement urgent flood-control measures, improve drainage infrastructure, and provide relief for affected families.
The scale of destruction has renewed concerns about the impact of climate change, poor drainage systems, and unchecked erosion on the safety of lives and property in Calabar.
Credit: Vanguard
