Rivers State residents now share flooded homes with crocodiles, snakes after unusual flooding

• Residents of Rumapu in Rivers State say crocodiles and snakes now swim around their flooded homes as they struggle with an unusual level of flooding.

• A woman who has lived in the Rivers community for 14 years says she has never witnessed flooding as severe as the latest one.

• Flooding also disrupted the Agbarho-Ughelli Road in Delta State after a section of the route became impassable, leaving motorists and commuters stranded.

The Federal Government had warned in August that 33 states, including Rivers and Delta, were at risk of flooding as river levels rose. The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) urged residents in flood-prone communities to move to safer and higher ground, warning that rising water levels could damage homes, roads, farmlands and critical infrastructure.

RELATED: FG names 33 states at risk of flooding and urges residents to relocate

The warning has since become a harsh reality for several communities. Just yesterday, parts of Delta State were hit by severe flooding that submerged homes, businesses and major roads across Agbarho, Ughelli, Warri, Udu and other areas.

The flooding also disrupted movement along the Agbarho-Ughelli Expressway after a section of the road became impassable following the collapse of a culvert. Commuters were stranded for hours as motorists struggled to navigate the affected route.

But while motorists battled to find their way through flooded roads, residents of Rumuapu faced a more personal struggle: trying to live inside homes surrounded by water and wildlife.

In a recent BBC interview, residents said they now feel as though they are living alongside wild animals after an unusual flood they said had not occurred at such intensity in about 15 years engulfed the community.

A woman who has lived in the community for 14 years said she had never experienced flooding of such magnitude.

“This is my 14th year living in this place. It has never happened before. Normally, during rainfall, the compound would be flooded, but after the rainfall, the water would go away. We have not seen this kind of water before,” she said.

Another resident said the floodwater reaches her waist when she returns home, adding that the community had never experienced anything like it before.

For another resident, the situation has become even more disturbing, with household belongings floating alongside dangerous reptiles in the floodwater.

“At this point, it is as if we are internally displaced people. The government just has to come to our aid to see how they can help with the situation. It is not funny.

Everything in my house is floating. Everything including snake, crocodile and other reptiles so, it is not funny,” the resident said.

With homes submerged and dangerous reptiles appearing in the floodwater, residents are now appealing for urgent intervention as they struggle to protect their lives and whatever remains of their belongings.

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