A devastating flood triggered by torrential rains has left at least 25 people dead and 11 missing in Nigeria’s Adamawa state, where thousands have been forced from their homes, officials confirmed Tuesday.
The disaster, which struck five communities in the Yola area on Sunday, has displaced more than 5,500 residents so far, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The agency described the flooding as severe and rapidly escalating due to flash floods caused by intense downpours.
To support those affected, authorities have established a displacement camp at Aliyu Musdafa College in Yola, where emergency supplies are being distributed.
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“The presence of both governmental and non-governmental partners have been significant, contributing to the effective management of the humanitarian situation,” NEMA said in a statement.
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Angela Joseph, who lost her livelihood to the floods, described the scale of her personal loss. “I don’t know where to start from,” she said in an AP report, explaining that her entire fish farming business was washed away.
Floods are a recurring danger during Nigeria’s rainy season. However, the impacts have become more destructive in recent years due to extreme weather patterns fueled by climate change. In northern regions, prolonged dry spells have been replaced by sudden and intense rainfall, creating conditions ripe for flash floods.
Earlier this year in May, the country’s Niger state saw more than 200 fatalities after a similar weather event devastated the farming town of Mokwa. And in 2024 alone, the United Nations reported that flooding across West Africa affected over four million people, a staggering threefold increase from the previous year.
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