The people of Amauzairi in the Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State have been displaced after flood submerged no fewer than 15 houses in the community.

Our correspondent, who visited the area on Sunday, observed as traders at Nkwo Amauzairi counted their losses.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the incident occurred after a midnight downpour in the community.

The flood, according to a community leader, Collins Anoro, wrecked havoc mostly at Okwele, forcing most of the indigenes to relocate to neighbouring communities.

Anoro valued property and economic losses to the flood at over N100m.

He noted that a bread factory in the heart of the community folded up after the flood situation worsened two months ago.

The factory owner, Bernard Ezebuike, who confirmed the development to our correspondent, said he had given up on trying to reactivate the bakery.

He said, “There is no point staying there again. I have lost almost all my savings trying to check the flood to no avail. The last time, I bought 50 bags of cement to control the flood; the cement was packed inside the factory. We were planning to use it the following day; but flood damaged everything.”

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Another victim, Mrs Chibuzo Enyioha, who sells fried plantain at Okwele, told our correspondent that she lost a bag of beans and other items to the flood on Saturday.

“Since this flood has been disturbing us in this community, it has never been worse like this. I just bought a bag of beans on Friday and I kept it inside. But look at what I’m seeing now: a soaked beans, and the yam tubers, I can’t even find them again,” she added.

A philanthropist from the area, Chief Chikwem Onuoha, said the community had spent over N5m trying to ameliorate the problem.

He regretted that all efforts crashed before their eyes after the last flood in the community.

Meanwhile, Anoro threatened that residents might denounce their membership of the community if the government did not intervene.

He stated that the decision was taken after a general meeting of the community recently over the continual flooding of the area.