FLOODS that have hit the northern part of the country, on the periphery of the Namibian and Angolan border, have now spread to more than nine villages.
When The Namibian visited, the flood-hit areas yesterday, water levels were rising.
The latest village to be affected is Oshitambi, east of Endola.
Hydrologist Leonard Hango told The Namibian that the affected villages are: Ouhongo, Onanghulo, Omatunda, Omandobe, Oshandubala, Onamilunga, Oikalahanya, Omhedi and Oshitambi.
"Water is now flowing along the road from Endola to Onhuno. Village roads are full and blocked by water and people cannot cross these streams as the water is deep," Hango said.
Hango added that the gravel road to Onghala Combined School is under water, and if the situation is not arrested soon, it might be washed away.
"The road authority in the region needs to do something immediately. Pupils are there. They crossed the streams in the morning, although they are full. Parents were there assisting, but action needs to be taken immediately, otherwise, the school will be closed," he said.
According to Hango, floodwater will pass on the eastern side of Endola in the Oshana shaNalumono stream.
Meanwhile, the executive director in the agriculture ministry Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, in a media statement yesterday, said the ministry has dispatched a team of additional hydrologists to the affected areas to assess the situation. "At present, the magnitude and speed of the current floodwater do not pose significant emergency risks. The public and communities in the affected areas should not panic, but remain on alert and exercise caution," Nghituwamata said.
She added that the flooding situation may change if substantial rainfall continues falling in the Cuvelai catchment areas, both in Angola and Namibia.
"Community members and schoolchildren in the flood-prone areas should take the necessary preventative measures and are advised to use alternative routes when crossing the flooded areas," she said.
Nghituwamata said according to the seasonal rainfall forecast, 2023 will be a La Niña year, meaning normal to above normal rainfall is expected.
