Houses, cars, shops, roads submerged as flood ravages Ondo communities
•Motorists stranded over gridlock on Lagos-Ore-Benin Expressway
A downpour that lasted several hours has triggered massive flooding across several parts of Ondo State, submerging houses, vehicles, shops and major roads, and leaving hundreds of commuters stranded on the section of the busy Lagos-Ore-Benin Expressway.
The flood, which started on Monday, affected Odigbo, Ondo, Irele, Okitipupa, Ode-Aye and Igbokoda communities, destroying property worth millions of Naira and displacing several families.
The worst-hit area was a section of the expressway in Odigbo Local Government Area and Ondo town in Ondo West Local Government Area where storm waters overwhelmed the highway, forcing traffic to a standstill for several hours.
The development created gridlock stretching several kilometres, leaving motorists, commercial drivers and passengers trapped on the highway linking Ondo, Ogun, Lagos, Edo states in the Southwest to the Southsouth and Southeast.
The Nation gathered that many travellers were forced to spend the night on the road, while others sought temporary accommodation in nearby hotels after being unable to continue their journeys.
In Ondo town, the heavy rainfall submerged major roads, including Itanla Junction, Onipakala Junction and the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) road.
A viral video footage obtained by our reporter showed several vehicles, including those belonging to members of staff of the UNIMED, trapped in the flood, with some submerged.
Residential buildings, business premises and roadside shops were also affected as residents battled to salvage household items and merchandise from the rising water.
Residents said the flood entered homes without warning, destroying furniture, electrical appliances, food items and other valuables.
Although no casualty was recorded, the flooding displaced several households, disrupted business activities and made movement difficult in many parts of the affected communities.
Commercial activities were brought to a halt in several locations as shop owners struggled to recover goods damaged by the flood, while schools and offices experienced low attendance due to the disruption caused by the heavy rainfall.
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A resident, Mr Abiola Akingboye, whose office had been badly affected by the flood said vehicles were hardly moving, and many people were left with no option but to sleep inside their vehicles.
Akingboye added, “the government needs to urgently address this recurring problem by improving drainage along the highway and ensuring flood control measures are put in place before more lives and property are endangered.”
The residents have appealed to emergency management agencies to provide relief materials for families affected by the disaster, noting that many victims had lost household belongings and means of livelihood to the flood.
The state government has expressed sympathy with residents and commuters affected by flooding across different parts of the state, reiterating its commitment to tackling the environmental challenge.
The Commissioner for Environment,Tob Loko, said while several flood-prone locations had earlier been identified for intervention, recent reports, videos and photographs revealed additional areas requiring urgent assessment.
According to Loko, the government has begun deploying amphibious excavators through the Office of the Special Assistant to the governor on Technical and Ecological Control, Elisha Ebijimi, to strategic locations for emergency clearing of waterways and channelisation works.
He added that drainage construction and rehabilitation projects were ongoing in affected communities, while erosion-prone locations were also receiving attention as part of broader flood-control measures.
Loko further said the Ministry of Environment would intensify public enlightenment campaigns, environmental monitoring, stakeholder engagement and enforcement against indiscriminate dumping of refuse and blockage of drainage channels.
He urged to report incidents of flooding, blocked drainage systems and erosion threats to relevant authorities while cooperating with government agencies to minimise the impact of flooding.
The commissioner, however, stressed that environmental offenders would continue to face prosecution.