Torrential rains ravage Potiskum: Dozens of homes flattened, families left homeless

Potiskum, Yobe State, was thrown into chaos on Friday after hours of pounding rainfall turned deadly, flattening homes and forcing terrified families into the streets.

The downpour, which began late Thursday and raged into the early hours of Friday, unleashed torrents of water that swept through entire neighbourhoods. Dozens of houses were reduced to rubble, leaving residents scrambling for safety in the darkness.

The devastation was most severe in communities along waterways where floodwaters surged with fury. Arikime, Ramin Kasa, Tandari, Nahuta, Boriya, Rugar Fulani, and Unguwar Kuwait were among the hardest hit, with houses collapsing under the force of the deluge.

Other areas, including Old Prison, Filin Nashe, Unguwar Makafi/Majema, Unguwar Jaji Bakin Kwari, Afghanistan, Tsangaya Bakin Kwari, Karofi, Bayan Garejin Danjuma, and settlements behind Fudiyya Potiskum, also suffered widespread destruction.

For years, residents in these communities have lived at the mercy of seasonal floods, their vulnerability worsened by poor or non-existent drainage systems. When the rain comes, there is simply nowhere for the water to go  and every storm becomes a nightmare.

According to Zagazola, one woman narrowly escaped death after her house collapsed on her during the storm. Locals described her survival as nothing short of miraculous.

While details remain sketchy and fatalities unconfirmed, the scale of destruction is undeniable. Families now sift through the wreckage of their homes, with many left homeless overnight.

The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has since mobilised emergency teams to the scene, promising urgent relief for victims of what many now call one of Potiskum’s most harrowing floods in recent years.