By Samuel Oyadongha

Yenagoa—Rresidents of Bayelsa State were yesterday forced to stay away from their normal haunts as they battled to bail out water from their homes, following last Sunday’s heavy rainfall in Yenagoa and its environs.

At press time, it was still raining in the state capital with several homes submerged.

Vanguard investigation revealed that many homes were sacked by flood caused mainly by blocked drains and near absence of functional drainages in many parts of the capital city.

It was also observed that most of the canals in Yenagoa which could have eased flooding in the metropolis, have been converted to refuse dump by residents, thereby blocking free flow of water into the rivers.

Some residents who spoke to Vanguard, said they spent the better part of the night baling water from their homes.

The residents also said they spent time creating a passage for the surging water to flow into the natural canals in their neighbourhood.

A resident, who simply gave his name as Doubra, said: “It was a terrifying night for us. My home was submerged by water.

‘’All through the night, we were forced to stay awake baling out water and also clearing the debris from the drainage to create free passage for the water.

“This is a frightening experience, we are yet to reach the peak of the rainy season but see what we are passing through.”

Another resident, Ebi, was seen erecting sand bags around his house to prevent water from flowing in.