Out of the 1,326 homes severely hit by the effects of the windstorm, over 463 houses in three local government units in Cross River have been demolished.
Obudu, Yala, and Ogoja were the impacted local government areas.
On Monday, Godwin Tepikor, the National Emergency Management Agency’s (NEMA) South-South Zonal Coordinator, said his team was taken through the affected areas by council officials and youths from the communities.
The crew visited the impacted communities of Bewbone, Abonkib, Bebuagbong, Igwo, and Okworutung while in the Obudu local government area.
Tepikor informed NAN that the evaluation tour was prompted by a’save our soul’ report from Mr Boniface Eraye, Chairman of Obudu Council Area, following a windy occurrence on April 12, 2022.
“The disaster affected 503 households and damaged 249 buildings and other household property in Obudu local government area.
“Also, in Yala local government area, we visited five communities affected by the windstorm. The communities were Okpoma, Otuche, Olachor, Idigbo and Igbekurikor.
“The assessment followed a save our soul report from the Chairman of the local government, Mr Fabian Ogbeche.
“We were conducted round the affected areas with officials from the Nigerian Red Cross, the Police, the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency and members of the communities.
“The incident, which occurred on April 5 2022, affected 486 households, 214 buildings and destroyed household property including economic trees in the affected communities,” he said.
Similarly, Tepikor said that the windstorm that occurred in Ogoja local government area on April 5 2022, affected Ishibori, Ukelle, Ogboje and Abakpa communities.
According to him, 337 households were affected by the disaster, while several houses and property were destroyed, including economic trees.
He told NAN that the assessment in Ogoja local government area also followed a distress call from the Chairman of Council, Mr Emmanuel Ishabor.
“On the whole, the windstorm disaster that affected Yala, Obudu and Ogoja local government areas destroyed over 463 houses and affected 1,326 households,” he said.
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