Impact Of Flood Disaster on Rural Community Development: A Case Study of Ugwueke, Bende L.G.A of Abia State, Nigeria in 2019

Abstract

This paper discussed the impact of flood disaster on rural community development, with focus on Ugwueke, Bende Local Government Area, Abia State, Nigeria, in 2019. Primary and secondary data were used but analysed qualitatively with historic and descriptive research designs. Primary data were gathered from personal communication with some members of the community and from oral history as told by the members of the community, especially the traditional custodians of the community. Secondary data were collected from published and unpublished contents from various empirical literature reviewed. The finding of the paper showed that the flood that happened in the community in 2019 reoccurs once every ten years with some traditional early warning signs, which always revealed to the custodians of the traditional institutions and deities of the community. The study argued that the devastating impact of the 2019 flood disaster in Ugwueke could be predicated on non-adherence to the traditional signs by the community due to the influence of Christian beliefs. It was recommended that the custodians of the traditional institutions of the community adhere to the early warning signs preceding the flood in order to, if not stop the disaster, reduce its vulnerability and mitigate the impacts