It has been normalized that each time it rains above average, we must prepare for the worst news possible. For instance, lightning struck at Gicumbi Stadium leaving 10 people injured on January 13, and heavy rain damaged 14 houses and two classrooms in addition to crops in Mbazi sector of Huye District the following day. It also damaged the homes of 22 individuals in Nyamasheke District. Rwanda Meteorology Agency, in a warning it issued on Monday, said that the south-western parts of the country would continue to experience above-normal rainfall up to January 20. The concerned districts include Karongi, Nyamasheke, Rusizi, Nyamagabe, Nyaruguru, Huye, Gisagara, Nyanza districts and southern parts of Ruhango, Bugesera, Ngoma and Kirehe. Just like the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. We don’t need to act when what was forecasted happens. It is everyone’s business, starting from heeding advice on how to behave when it rains, such as not to go under trees, or walk in the rain. We should comply when we are asked to relocate from high-risk zones, fix leaking roofs on our houses, make trenches during Umuganda, and help disadvantaged people to do the same in the spirit of community. Local leaders should also put more effort into awareness campaigns, especially before we even get into the rainy season, to have ample time to fully prepare for the rainy days ahead. After the torrential downpour and ensuing floods and landslides – the largest known climate disaster in Rwanda – that claimed 135 lives and left thousands homeless in May 2023, we must take seriously every warning or advice from Meteo Rwanda and other relevant agencies to prevent similar tragedies in the future. One life lost is too many, one house destroyed is too many.
