Overflowing Dams Drive 302 Households From Homes in Kenya's Tana River County
The Kenya Red Cross says 3,156 more households are affected as flooding reaches Lamu County and officials warn people downstream to move to higher ground.
See where this is ›TANA RIVER COUNTY, Kenya —
Flooding has driven 302 households from their homes in Kenya's Tana River County after the Tulu and Minjila dams in Tana Delta overflowed Wednesday night, Oct. 28, the Kenya Red Cross said. The Star of Kenya reported Oct. 30 that the agency counted a further 3,156 households affected.
See where this is ›The water has also reached neighboring Lamu County. The Star reported that “some homes in Hindi and Witu are experiencing rising water levels.”
Of the displaced households, 175 have received food, tarpaulins and blankets from the county and national governments, according to the Red Cross. That leaves 127 families still waiting, and the agency said the remaining families are expected to be reached soon.
Tana River Gov. Dhadho Godhana urged people in risk areas to “move to higher ground” immediately, according to UA.NEWS, which cited Kenya's Nation newspaper. The same report said the county handed out sheet metal, timber and nails over the past two months to help families relocate, but some residents refused to leave.
Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Minister Eric Mugaa also warned people downstream in Tana River and Garissa counties of controlled releases from reservoirs that have reached maximum capacity, the report said. He said the releases are needed to prevent dam failures. Heavy rain around Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Range is sending more water into the Tana River and the Seven Forks chain of dams.
The Kenya Meteorological Department had issued a severe weather alert for Oct. 24 to 28, warning that some areas could get more than 20 millimeters of rain within 24 hours. The heaviest rain fell between Monday and Wednesday night, The Star reported. The October-to-December short rains have been delayed, and the expected El Niño-related rains have not yet set in across many areas.
What we don't know yet: The reports we reviewed mention no deaths, but the full extent of damage to homes and roads has not been stated, and the Red Cross said its teams were still assessing needs as rain continued. Watchman News could not read the Nation report directly; the governor's and minister's remarks come from UA.NEWS's account of it.
