BY MUSA IDRIS UMAR, JULY 13, 2025 | 07:06 PM
Heavy rainfall early Sunday morning triggered flash flooding across parts of Biu town in Borno State, submerging several areas, damaging property, and displacing numerous residents, particularly affecting women, children, and other vulnerable groups.
The downpour, which began around 6:00 a.m., affected multiple locations, including the area behind Alh Usman Guraguja House, down to Kubala and Galdimare Ken-Ken Ward.
Though no casualties have been reported, several households suffered losses, with women and children accounting for most of the displaced.
Many families are now in need of immediate support as local volunteers and emergency teams work to manage the aftermath.
Flood alerts had been circulating since last week, with Biu Local Government Area identified as flood-prone.
According to the global disaster monitoring platform ThinkHazard!, Biu faces a medium-level river flood hazard, indicating over a 20% chance of potentially damaging floods within the next decade.
Sunday’s incident has revived memories of past flood events, notably the August 2022 flooding that damaged Katarko Bridge, cutting off access between Damaturu and Biu LGAs.
Community leaders have outlined urgent needs to aid recovery efforts, including shovels and wheelbarrows to clear blocked drainages, rain boots, gloves for volunteers, tarpaulins and mats for displaced families, particularly women and children, water purification tablets, food supplies, flashlights, and batteries.
'Our major challenges include poor drainage infrastructure and how quickly the rainwater accumulated,' said a local volunteer helping with the response.
'However, the coordination among volunteers and emergency responders has been effective so far.'
Local authorities say their immediate priorities over the next 20 hours include restoring proper water flow, supporting affected families, especially women and children, preventing waterborne disease outbreaks, and monitoring for further rainfall.
Residents and officials are appealing to individuals, organizations, and humanitarian agencies for support, emphasizing that while the situation is currently under control, continued preparedness and swift assistance remain critical, particularly for the most vulnerable.