—- The heaviest since 1977, rendering several hundred homeless
Nimba County is experiencing its most severe flooding since the devastating flood of 1977, with residents along the Cestor River reporting widespread destruction. The flood has submerged towns and villages, destroyed homes, and rendered major roads impassable, leaving hundreds of people homeless.
In the town of Buelay, near Buutuo, 17 houses were destroyed, leaving about 100 people without shelter. “The water level has surpassed the flood of 1977,” said an elderly resident, Koyean, who expressed concerns about the impact on local cocoa farms, with ripe cocoa now rotting under the floodwaters.
The flooding has also devastated the small village of Nanlah, near the Cestor Bridge, cutting off the Nimba-Grand Gedeh Highway. “This town was built in 1968, and we didn’t see water like this during the 1977 flood,” said Leepealay Gbeadeh, a displaced resident.
In Tappita City, around the Power Station Community, about 20 houses were destroyed after a creek overflowed. Ganta’s Glenyelu Community is also in crisis, with around 100 homes flooded by the St. John River. Long-time resident Samuel Geh, in disbelief, noted, “I have lived here since 1983 and have never seen flooding like this.”
Helena Flomo, a single mother caring for over 15 dependents, described her family’s struggle since leaving their flooded home on September 8. “We are living with relatives, and our house is becoming uninhabitable,” she said. Others, like Comfort Kollie, voiced concerns about whether their homes, mostly made of brick and cement, could withstand the prolonged exposure to floodwaters.
With hundreds of homes submerged and no immediate relief in sight, residents are calling for relocation assistance, but it remains unclear who will facilitate the process.
The flood has severely disrupted transportation, with the Tappita-Zwedru highway and Ganta Main Border shut down, and businesses brought to a standstill. “There’s no way to get to Zwedru now,” said Randolph, a motorcyclist.
Despite the scale of the disaster, no government officials have visited the affected areas to provide relief, leaving residents feeling abandoned as they continue to endure worsening conditions amid rising water levels.
