Floodwaters in Moraikobai, Region Five, have started to recede once again after water levels rose last week following heavy rainfall.
According to Toshao Derrick John, while the water level in the Mahaicony River remains high, houses in the village are no longer inundated and persons can now walk on land although the ground is still soggy. He said that while the rain continues to fall in the area, it is not as intense or frequent as the earlier part of last week and this has resulted in the floodwater receding significantly.
He added that after being unable to do anything for weeks, residents are happy that they can now start moving forward, knowing that it will take a long time to fully recover from the damage caused by the flooding.
Regarding food supplies and potable water, John disclosed that they have received timely donations from the Civil Defense Commission (CDC) via the Regional Democratic Council. He noted that the village council distributed the potable water yesterday to the residents affected in Lower Moraikobai and this should last for some days.
John added that as a more long-term solution, several barrels have been donated to the community so that water can be stored until the river water returns to normal. According to him, many families in lower Moraikobai depend on the river for cooking, cleaning, washing and drinking. The intense rainfall and overflowing of the riverbanks led to water contamination and many suffered from vomiting and diarrhea after consuming the water during the start of the floods.
John said a medical team is monitoring the situation but the situation is not as dire as before considering that they have been receiving potable water.
Some 200 households in Moraikobai have been affected by severe flooding. Poultry and crops have been completely destroyed. The community was flooded for over three weeks as water levels reached record highs.
