Attachments
Description of the Event
What happened, where and when?
Located in the South-West Region of Cameroon, the city of Limbe was drenched by continuous heavy rains from 18 to 19 July 2023 that resulted in flooding (in the DOWN BEACH and CHURCH STREET neighborhoods) and landslides (MAWOH neighborhood). The flooding was largely due to run-off water and unplanned construction, which prevents water from circulating normally. The neighborhoods' worst affected were CHURCH STREET (700 people), MAWOH (400 people) and DOWN BEACH (500 people), making a total of about 1,600 people directly affected by the flooding.
These floods caused the destruction of one residence and extensive damage to around 250 homes, as the houses were completely flooded, damaging household equipment such as bedding, clothing, furniture, kitchen utensils, etc. Other damage recorded was the destruction of goods in stores, and the most serious case was the suspected disappearance of an adult, 05 injured and 02 killed.
It's important to note that the town of Limbe is located in a bay against the flank of the volcanic chain. The city lies on a plain that is highly exposed to flooding from regular heavy rainfall, as well as to landslides from the mountainside. Some vulnerable populations have built their homes around the swampy areas, thus blocking the passage for run-off water hence the risk of flooding is increased in the region, with the corollary of water-borne diseases.
On 10 March, the report from the Africa Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Early Action System (AMHEWAS) Situation Room for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) classified Cameroon as a Level 2 alert overall, with a moderate level of risk for certain regions, including the South-West. The multi-risk meteorological bulletin published on 14 July 2023 indicated that the period from 14 to 17 July 2023 would be marked by heavy rains accompanied by strong winds, with a risk of flooding, particularly in certain towns in the Littoral (Douala and Nkongsamba), West, North-West and South-West Regions (Buea, Limbe and Tiko).