First was the heavy downpour that threatened to flood their home in Shuwa, in Adamawa State, as midnight drew. Then came the overflowing river nearby that had begun to sweep through neighbours’ homes. Hour earlier, Nuhu Abdullahi, 41, had lay on his bed nursing himself to sleep, now he was wringing his hands in agitation as the floodwaters rose. “I took my laptop and put it inside a bag and gave it to my younger sister. And we waited to see how things would go,” he recounted.
While the women and children retreated to safety, Abdullahi and his brothers struggled to rescue their goats that had been let loose by the flood. “We were able to rescue many. At around 2 a.m., the speed of the water kept increasing, so we also rushed to safer ground,” he said.
By dawn, as the floodwater began receding, Abdullahi returned home to a devastating scene. “My mother’s room had collapsed. My older brother’s apartment also collapsed completely.”
Destructive floods that ravaged Shuwa on August 21 and 29 have led to 7 casualties. As many as 240 households receive shelter at a community primary school, according to the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA).
A Ripple Effect
Abubakar Ahmad, 54, had been on his way to his farm in Marwa, Cameroon, one Thursday morning when he received a panicked call from his wife via WhatsApp. The flood had destroyed their new home, causing his wife and children to seek shelter at the community primary school. “What I found here was devastating. Everywhere houses collapsed, and it’s blocks that the houses were built with,” Ahmad recalled of the destruction.
A former judiciary worker in Adamawa, Ahmad had resorted to farming in faraway Cameroon after soldiers restricted fertiliser use in Shuwa over bomb-making fears. Several other farmers that Prime Progress spoke to also faced the same trouble.
Ahmad believes that if he had been allowed to use fertilisers in Shuwa, he would have been present during the flood, and the damage might be less disastrous. Added to his loss was the destruction of his onion farm, which had been worth over N400,000.
A Community of Resilience
Abdullahi, a professional software developer and a university lecturer, has accepted his losses with stoic endurance. “God knows why this happened. For us humans, we may see it as a trial or something difficult, but God knows why He did this,” he said.
However, many in the community, including Ahmad, feel that the cycle of destruction will continue without strategic planning. “If they build and the water comes again, and the buildings collapse again, what will they do?” he asks, urging the government to take proactive measures against future flooding.
Experts reckon that the floods have been exacerbated by water releases from dams in both Cameroon and Adamawa State. As severe weather events become more frequent, communities like Shuwa will face increasing challenges to adapt and survive. Nevertheless, families like Abdullahi’s are not just waiting for help; they are adapting in the face of adversity.
In the face of climate-induced disasters, the people of Shuwa are focused on rebuilding their homes, salvaging their livelihoods and helping each other to rise from the ruins.
Shuwa, in Adamawa State, experienced severe flooding from heavy rains and an overflowing river, leading to significant destruction in late August. Nuhu Abdullahi, along with his family, managed to safeguard some belongings and livestock before seeking higher ground as the waters rose. By dawn, the flood had caused substantial damage, collapsing homes, including Abdullahi's mother’s and brother’s rooms, and leaving 240 households displaced.
Abubakar Ahmad, farming in Cameroon due to past restrictions on fertiliser use in Shuwa, returned to find his home destroyed and family sheltering in a community school. Losses included the entirety of his onion farm. Residents like Abdullahi and Ahmad are now advocating for government intervention and strategic planning to prevent repeated devastation. The floods, exacerbated by dam releases, underscore the urgent need for adaptive measures as climate change poses increasing threats. Despite the challenges, the community remains resilient, focusing on rebuilding and supporting each other.
