For 347 residents of Cross River State, the torrential rainfall that battered communities in August did not end when the rain stopped.
Their homes were affected, their lives disrupted and, for many, returning home is no longer an immediate option.
The Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (CR-SEMA), through its Director-General, Efa Nyong, said 347 people were displaced by disasters linked to torrential rainfall in August.
According to Nyong, 167 people were rendered homeless by a mudslide in Calabar, while about 180 others were displaced by heavy rainfall in the Central Senatorial District.
The affected residents are reportedly being sheltered at various locations in Calabar and parts of the Central Senatorial District.
Behind those figures are families suddenly forced to leave the comfort and familiarity of their homes.
A home is more than four walls and a roof. It is where families keep their belongings, where children sleep after school, where parents return after a day’s work and where people feel safe when the world outside becomes uncertain.
For those affected by the mudslide and flooding, that sense of security has been interrupted.
In Calabar, the mudslide alone left 167 people homeless, according to CR-SEMA.
For the affected families, the immediate challenge is not simply finding somewhere to spend the night. They must also consider food, clothing, healthcare, children’s education and how they will eventually rebuild their lives.
In the Central Senatorial District, another 180 people were displaced by heavy rainfall, SEMA said.
While emergency shelters may provide temporary relief, displacement can create a longer struggle for families who have lost access to their homes and livelihoods.
The development also highlights the vulnerability of communities to extreme rainfall and the need for stronger disaster preparedness, early warning systems and timely emergency response.
But beyond the statistics is a more personal question confronting the displaced residents:
When will they be able to return to a safe place they can once again call home?
For now, the rain may have stopped.
The mud may eventually dry.
The floodwaters may recede.
But for the 347 people identified by CR-SEMA as displaced, recovery is only beginning.
