Heavy rain and strong winds destroyed about 30 houses in Nyagatare District on Monday, September 21, leaving dozens of families without shelter. The storm hit Nyagatare and Rukomo sectors and damaged one classroom at Cyonyo Primary and Secondary School. ALSO READ: Unusually heavy rains forecast for September-December season Straton Kamugundu, one of the affected residents, said many families cannot afford to repair or rebuild their homes. “The rain came unexpectedly. At first, it looked like it was not much, but it came with strong winds. Before we knew it, we saw roofs being blown away. Kamugundu said. The destruction of houses caught us off guard, and not many can immediately repair or rebuild their houses. We are asking for support to repair them so that and we can have some shelter.” ALSO READ: El Niño: Districts race to relocate families from high-risk areas Some families also lost foodstuff, bedding and other household belongings. Amina Mukeshimana, another resident, said neighbours had taken in some of the affected people. She added that they still needed basic necessities. “The rain damaged everything that was inside the house, including bedding and foodstuff, Mukeshimana said. Although we have been given shelter by our neighbours, moving a family into another household comes with many challenges. That is why we are asking the authorities to help us get basic necessities that can help us continue with our lives while we wait for assistance to repair or rebuild our homes,” she said. ALSO READ: Gaps in disaster prevention leave Rwf49bn repair bill: Senate report Nyagatare Vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs, Juliet Murekatete, said authorities were assessing the damage and helping the affected families find temporary shelter. “Following the rainfall that destroyed houses in our district, we immediately established a joint team comprising district and sector officials, which visited the affected residents and helped them find temporary accommodation with the help of neighbours,” Murekatete said. She added that the team returned on Tuesday to document the damage and identify urgent needs, including roofing sheets and other necessities. Murekatete urged residents of the district to secure and reinforce their roofs as the rainy season has started. The Rwanda Meteorology Agency forecasts 300 to 1,000 millimetres of rainfall across the country during the September-December rainy season, which is higher than the long-term average of 279 to 962 millimetres. Close to 100 houses have been destroyed or damaged by storms since early September. At least 64 houses, and 10 classrooms were damaged by winds, rains and windstorms on September 13 in the districts of in Kayonza, Rwamagana, Gatsibo, Rulindo, Ngoma, Nyamasheke and Ngororero. The disasters and forecast heavy rains are linked to the El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, which significantly disrupts global weather, temperature, and rainfall patterns. Meteo Rwanda predicts that the country could see heavy rains and windstorms similar to those recorded in May 2023, when floods and landslides killed 136 people and left widespread damages on infrastructure in the northwestern region.
