Residents across Bauchi State have continued to recount the losses they incurred as a result of the repeated windstorms that hit parts of the state in the last few weeks.
WikkiTimes gathered that at least one life was lost in Mararaban Liman Katagum Community of Bauchi LGA, in addition to several houses that were ravaged, and several people were displaced.
Eyewitnesses said the six-year-old boy who died in Mararaban Liman Katagum passed on after a house collapsed on him during a violent storm in early June.
Malam Isma’il, the father of the deceased, described the incident as heartbreaking but attributed it to the will of God. Besides causing the death of the child, the storm also injured the deceased’s sister.
The seasonal windstorms, which also destroy schools and other public buildings, are becoming more frequent and intense, often attributed to shifting weather patterns linked to climate change.
During the storm, streets were lined with fallen walls, zinc sheets, and scattered household items, as residents say the government response has been absent.
Victims in Darazo town are also now reeling from the incident, which left scores without shelter.
Eyewitnesses in Darazo described it as unprecedented. “The wind was dark and black. It was so terrifying and destructive,” said Abdurrahman Darazo, a resident. He explained that at least 30 houses were destroyed there, with several casualties recorded. “A similar storm happened a couple of years ago, but this one is worse. And we are now seeing this kind of storm more frequently,” he added.
He added that the wind flattened homes, knocked down electric poles and telecom masts, plunging the area into darkness and disrupting communication.
In Mararaba where about 20 houses were destroyed, the fall of electric poles affected many communities, forcing them to remain in darkness for weeks now.
Recall that in June 2024, windstorms killed at least five persons, with three others seriously injured in Bauchi.
Experts warn that the situation could worsen if immediate adaptation and disaster preparedness measures are not put in place.
Bauchi State, like many other states, is prone to seasonal storms, lacks a coordinated emergency response mechanism, leaving vulnerable populations exposed to recurring devastation.
As climate change continues to expose the fragility of local infrastructure, communities like Darazo and Mararaba remain on the frontline.
Reasearch revealed that climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as droughts and windstorms.
Climate change is also increasing the intensity of extreme weather across the globe, including storms, as warmer global temperatures provide more energy to fuel storms, making them more powerful and less predictable. As a result, storm-related hazards such as damaging winds and flash floods are becoming more frequent and severe.
