A flood in Gombe State has left 2,517 houses and shops completely or partially destroyed in 33 communities.

The disaster, triggered by heavy rainfall between August 12 and August 22, ravaged the LGAs of Dukku, Funakaye and Billiri, according to Mr Ibrahim Nalado, Deputy Director of Relief and Rehabilitation at the Gombe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

He said though no life was lost, two children sustained injuries and seven livestock were swept away by the floodwaters.

He said, "In the Hina community of Yamaltu/Deba LGA, approximately 1,000 hectares of farmland, primarily rice, maize, sorghum and millet, were submerged, just as farmers prepared for harvest."

Yobe LGAs cut off from capital

In a related development, flooding has destroyed the Gashua-Damaturu bridge, severing connection between nine LGAs of Yobe State and the state capital, Damaturu.

The flood also washed away the Jumbam bridge in Bursari LGA on the Damaturu-Dapchi road.

Shu'aibu Abdullahi, a resident of Damaturu, said that the road linking Damaturu to the Northern part of the state had been heavily damaged by the floodwaters around Jumbam.

Reacting about the disaster, Yobe State Deputy Governor, Hon Idi Barde Gubana, visited the Jumbam bridge and surrounding communities in Tarmuwa LGA to assess the damage.

The deputy governor expressed sympathy for the affected communities and instructed the Ministry of Works to provide canoes and construct a temporary bridge for pedestrian use.