One person has died and 400 houses have so far been destroyed after windstorm wreaked havoc across Gombe state, Deputy Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, of the State Emergency Management Agency, Mrs Lamis Benjamin, has revealed.

She revealed this in an interview with The PUNCH in Gombe on Sunday.

Benjamin explained that apart from the buildings, flood had also washed away farmlands and destroyed several hectares of food and cash crops.

The director said,

“We have received several alerts from various local government areas of the state. Some residents have been displaced and are in search of where to stay, while others have gone to their relations.

“We received alerts about the effect of windstorms in the Kaltungo Local Government Area with over 192 houses in jeopardy; animals and food items were also destroyed.

“Flooding in Gombe metropolis claimed one life at one Isari Gambo’s house. The fence demarcating the College of Medicine and his house fell, killing his cook and destroying properties.

“The recent happening was at Bojude in the Kwami Local Government Area, where there was loss of 32 bags of beans, 42 bags of maize and five bags of Bambara nut, and over 208 buildings were destroyed by thunderstorm.”

Benjamin said the government had been doing its best to sensitise the populace to the effects of climate change and the need for them to plant more trees to protect the environment.

She pleaded with the residents to desist from building their houses on waterways and urged them to stop dumping refuse in drainages.

She said,

“Water does not change its route, even if it takes 100 years, it will still find it route. When it is about to rain, clear your drainage to avoid flooding, but people have not taken this into cognisance because they will rather empty their waste into the drainage, which results into flooding.

“Residents should desist from walking about during rainfall to reduce the risks they are exposed to.”