Residents of Rumola, Rumuokwuta, Rumuokoro, New GRA, Rumuigbo, Rumuomomoi and some parts of Diobu axis of Port Harcourt, Rivers State are counting their losses over a recent windstorm and ice rain that destroyed properties worth millions of naira in the areas.
The windstorm, which started at about 2:30p.m. on Monday and lasted through early Tuesday morning, did not show any sign of danger until it began to gather strength and started uprooting giant billboards and electric poles blowing off rooftops and pulling down buildings.
The worst affected areas are Rumola, Rumuokoro and the New GRA part of Port Harcourt. Giant billboards were uprooted from their foundations and flung atop buildings. At the popular Rumola junction, a giant billboard was thrown at a three storey building and destroyed part of the building.
A resident of the area, Michael Chukwu, who noted that there was no death recorded, said the windstorm took the residents by surprise as it caused extensive damage to buildings.
“It started with a little wind and later the storm became wide. The storm became very serious that it started throwing things all over the place. People began to run helter skelter looking for safety. Before we knew it, a gigantic billboard belonging to one communication companies fell on top of a three story building and destroyed part of the building,” he said.
“The moment the windstorm started the occupants of the building ran to a safe ground and that was the reason why there was no death,’’ he stated.
The military hospital located along Aba/Port Harcourt road was not spared in the devastating effect of the windstorm as many vehicles parked within the hospital premises were destroyed. Equally destroyed was part of the building which had its rooftop blown off while the trees planted inside and outside the premises were uprooted by the raging wind.
At Rumuokwuta, the windstorm destroyed properties and blew off the roofs of more than 10 buildings.
According to a resident of the area, John Amadi, the wind was so devastating that properties, houses and cars were badly damaged.
“The torrential rain and windstorm were so much that ice also accompanied it, breaking vehicle windscreens. It was only on television that we saw this type of thing happen in foreign countries. I never thought in my wildest imagination that this type of thing will happen in Nigeria,’’ he said.
Another resident of Rumuigbo, Angus Ilo, said he lost goods worth hundreds of thousands of naira in his shop because the wind scattered and carried away everything in the shop.
So many schools in Port Harcourt had their own share of the windstorm. At Elechi beach more than 10 schools were badly damaged by the windstorm and rain.
The Commissioner for Education, Mr Tamunosisi Gogojaja, who visited some of the affected schools thanked God that no life was lost, saying, the state government will commence renovation of government owned schools affected by the disaster.
A staff of one the private schools affected by the windstorm, Ngozi Chibu, told our correspondent that part of the school building was destroyed.
“The situation was beyond everybody and there is nothing one could do in that particular situation. We watched the wind destroy almost everything in the school; chairs, tables and books were all flying up and down. We thank God that no life was lost,’’ he said.
The windstorm caused a total blackout in parts of Port Harcourt a situation that made business operators to depend on generators to power their gadgets.
It was gathered that the windstorm also destroyed about 85 poles belonging to Port Harcourt Distribution Company (PHED).
The manager, Corporate Communications of PHED, Mr. John Onyi, confirmed the incident in a statement, saying, as a result of the damage, poles with other associated materials, such as 150mm aluminum conductors spanning over 32,000 meters; several cross arms, among others have thrown a cross section of Port Harcourt metropolis into darkness.
Reacting to the disaster, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of PHED, Syed Taha, appealed to the residents to exercise patience while the damaged poles were being replaced.
He said: “It is regrettable that PHED is facing such a loss at this moment, due to natural disaster but I can guarantee that supply will be restored to the affected areas soonest. We have taken stock of the extent of the damage and sourcing of materials for rehabilitation has started in earnest.”
He, however reminded the public of the danger of erecting structures under high tension lines and urged them to always obey safety rules especially during the rainy season.
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