The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has reported that 27 flooding incidents have occurred across various regions in Sierra Leone, significantly damaging farmlands, businesses, and causing widespread building collapses.
The floods have affected multiple districts and chiefdoms, severely disrupting local livelihoods.
Chiefdoms in the following districts have been hit hard:
– Bo District: Baoma, Kakua, Jaiama, and Valunia
– Bonthe District: Benducha, Bonthe Island, Bum, and Yorbekwu
– Bombali District: Bombali Shebora
– Falaba District: Dembeleya Musaia
– Kambia District: Mambolo, Samu, and Thonkor Limba
– Moyamba District: Fakunia, Kamajei, Kagboro, Kori, Njama Kowa, and Rotifung
– Tonkolili District: Dansogoia and Kalantuba
– Port Loko District: Kamasondo
– Pujehun District: Kpanka Kabondeh, Peri, and Sorogbema
– Western Area: Urban and Rural areas.
As of today, 27 communities have been recorded as flood-affected, impacting 3,330 households and affecting the livelihoods of 23,596 people. Additionally, 167 buildings, including schools, hospitals, and places of worship, have collapsed. The floods have submerged 7,324 hectares of farmland, with many roads remaining impassable for over a week, leading to severe economic disruption.
The NDMA attributes the floods primarily to heavy rainfall in Guinea, which caused rivers from the Futa Jallon Highlands to overflow into Sierra Leone.
The Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency confirmed that the country did not experience rainfall severe enough to trigger such floods. The floods were further predicted in the biweekly weather forecasts from the African Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Action Systems, which indicated heavy precipitation in Guinea throughout July, August, and September.
NDMA officers have been visiting affected areas, warning residents of the heightened risk of waterborne diseases, especially among children, and emphasizing the need to protect drinking water sources from contamination.
The NDMA is collaborating with key partners, including the World Food Programme (WFP), the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society, and the Food Systems Resilience Project (FSRP), to carry out thorough assessments and ensure a coordinated response to the disaster.
Citizens are urged to report flood-affected areas or emergencies by contacting the NDMA’s toll-free line at 1199, available through Africell and Qcell, or by visiting NDMA regional offices in Bo, Kenema, Makeni, Port Loko, or its headquarters in Aberdeen, Freetown.
