The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Ebonyi says two persons died in the flood that has ravaged some parts of the state since June.

The agency’s executive secretary, Clement Ovuoba, disclosed this in an interview in Abakaliki, the state capital, on Tuesday.

Mr Ovuoba said an expectant mother, Ozoemena Ugbega, and a young man lost their lives in the disaster.

“The flood also affected 12 schools, six houses and 45 shops at the Abakaliki Building Material Market,” said Mr Ovuoba.

He said the incident affected 173 persons from Ikwo, Izzi, Abakaliki, and Afikpo local government areas.

The SEMA official also said 261 hectares of farmlands were destroyed.

“These local governments are the flood-prone areas predicted by NITME and NEMA,” Mr Ovuoba said.

He quoted NITME and NEMA to have predicted that the disaster would persist until November.

The SEMA boss appealed to the National Emergency Management Agency “to look into our reports for more interventions because we lacked relief and rehabilitation materials.

“We have complete reports on the level of disaster in each community in all the LGAs mentioned.”

He said the agency had continued to educate the public through town hall meetings with community stakeholders, traditional leaders, youths and women, and radio and television programmes on disaster tips and management.

Mr Ovuoba, therefore, urged the residents in the riverine communities to relocate to the upland from flood-prone areas.

(NAN)