Flooding rains in Uganda claim nearly 30 lives
Torrential rainfall Sunday across the eastern part of the country produced deadly flash floods that swept away homes, bridges and devastated farmland. Search-and-rescue teams continued to scour the region for those desperate for help.
Flash floods have inundated the city of Mbale, Uganda, after heavy rainfall. The floods have claimed 22 lives and caused damage to property.
Devastating rainfall that drenched eastern Uganda last weekend has killed at least 29 victims across the Elgon subregion as of Wednesday, according to government officials.
Heavy rain began across eastern Uganda after 8 p.m. Saturday local time and continued through 7 a.m. Sunday. The destructive flooding impacted numerous villages, including Namabasa, Busajabwankuba, Nkoma and the Mbale industrial park.
Scenes of ruined roadways and bridges, submerged homes and crops washed away were common across the region after the flooding event. As the heavy rain subsided, runoff water continued to wreak havoc on farmland earlier this week, raising the acres of agricultural damage to 5,000.
On Sunday, the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, sent Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja to the affected regions to assess the damage and determine what immediate intervention was necessary.
In a statement released from the prime minister's office, property damage is estimated to be in the billions of Ugandan shillings (hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars).
Irene Nakasitam, a spokesperson with the Uganda Red Cross Society, told CNN on Wednesday that 21 victims have been retrieved from Mbale, and three were found in Kapchorwa. Additional victims were found in surrounding districts on Monday and Tuesday, and many fear that even more will be discovered in the coming days, with numerous residents still missing.
Kapchorwa and Mbale were among some of the larger population centers impacted by the flooding rains. The banks of the Nabuyonga and Namatala rivers reportedly burst on Sunday, worsening the amount of destruction.
Engineer Hilary Onek, the minister of relief, disaster preparedness and refugees, announced at a press conference on Tuesday that 14 bridges were swept away, in addition to nine cars and three motorcycles.
Disaster surveys found that at least 800 households, three health centers and nine schools were either partially damaged or destroyed due to the flooding. The URCS said thousands of people were displaced by the heavy rains, and over 1,000 households were impacted in surrounding districts.
Extensive livestock and domestic animal losses also were reported.
A rapid assessment team mobilized by the Office of the Prime Minister combined forces with local police, military, URCS and health workers to conduct search-and-rescue operations and provide medical response across the region. The Ugandan Government announced that they would provide tents for those who lost their homes until permanent measures can be achieved.
Rescue and cleanup efforts have been hindered by additional rainfall on Monday and Tuesday as periods of lighter rain and showers spread across the region. AccuWeather forecasters say that light precipitation is in store throughout the remainder of the week across eastern Uganda.
"There can be isolated showers and thunderstorms around on Thursday and Friday, but rainfall looks to be light," explained AccuWeather Lead International Forecaster Jason Nicholls.
Although the majority of the country is in the grips of a prolonged drought, the Elgon region of eastern Uganda is prone to flash flooding and landslides when periods of heavy rain fall. Positioned at the base of Mount Elgon, an extinct shield volcano bordering western Kenya, enhanced precipitation can occur on the windward side of the mountain in Uganda.
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