In a rare twist of fate, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has announced that flood has devastated three North-eastern states of Borno, Bauchi and Taraba, washing away over 4,000 farms and destroying over 5,000 houses. This is coming at a time several South-western states are experiencing a cessation of the rains, often called “August Break”. The agency in a press release from its North-east office in Maiduguri, called on Nigerians to imbibe the culture of proactive disaster prevention and management in order to reduce the perennial losses to flooding. In the press release signed by the North-east Assistant Zonal Coordinator, Ibrahim Farinloye, the agency said exposure to post-flooding trauma and related economic losses affect individual and collective development of the society. He said: “Bauchi State has experienced major flooding and hail storm in Kirfi, Darazo, Tafawa Balewa and Katagum Local Government Areas of the State. Against the wrong impression going round, the unfortunate incident has led to one loss of live in Kari town with two sustaining injuries. Over five hundred and thirty six (536) houses were partially affected with six hundred and seventeen (617) houses being destroyed. Over six hundred and sixty-six (666) farms with assorted stable food crops were destroyed with the total number of four hundred and seventy-two (472) families affected with an average figure of 12 members per families in Bauchi State as a whole, while five people sustained injuries altogether.” Farinloye also revealed that the Director General of the agency, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Sidi, who was on hand to commiserate with the victims of the flood in Bauchi found out that “there are two major camps in Kari with camp A having 71 men, 146 women and 910 children; bringing the total victims in Camp A to 1,127. Camp B has 30 men, 50 women and 119 children with 199 camp population. Zandam camp has 73 men, 123women and 94 children, making up the 290 camp residents”. “Gandum village where flooding and hail storm were experienced had 364 farms destroyed with 157 families affected, while in Kirfi in Kirfi LGA,104 farms were washed off and 56 families affected and Burgel Village in Tafawa Balewa LGA had two people wounded with 10 families displaced while flooding in Azare in Katagum LGA caused no negative effects,” he added. According to him, “In Taraba State, flood caused devastating effects on the people in Jalingo, Lau, Yorro and Ardo Kola with Jalingo being the worst hit with two deaths and over 900 families displaced in three camps of Mallam Gabdo Primary School IDPs having over 245 women, over 207 under five-year-old children, 951 over five-year-old children and 178 families. “In Mafindi Primary School, IDPs Camp has 408 women, over 1,266 children and 271 families as camp residents and Magami Low-Cost Primary School IDPs Camp also has 555 women 379 children, with a total of 134 families residing in the camp, while the remaining affected people prefer to squat with families and relations in the other local government areas of the state.” He further disclosed that “In Jalingo, over 307 houses were destroyed, while 455 were partially affected; 198 farms were washed away with assorted food crops, while 945 families were affected in Lau Local Government Area with 1,097 houses either partially or totally affected and over 1,221 farms were washed away. Over 610 fish ponds were washed away all over the state. “One hundred and forty-nine (149) farms were destroyed, 50 houses affected and over 2,173 people were affected in Yorro Local Government Area. Ardo-Kola Local Government Area has over 500 farms destroyed with 475 families affected, 10 houses partially affected and six houses destroyed.” In Borno State, the press release stated that flood wreaked disaster in Monguno Local Government and its environs, adding that 919 households were affected, 61 people displaced and were currently accommodated in a community primary school. The agency said though no death was recorded, a woman sustained minor injuries; 48 grain stores were completely destroyed. Also, the agency said assessment were on-going in areas such as Numan and Demsa Local Governments in Adamawa State which suffered flooding as a result of shallow and narrow drainages with inadequate bridges and roads. Farinloye said the agency was concerned about the psychological and post-disaster trauma the disaster could expose people to and especially if there is a loss of a member of the community in the flooding resulting from the collapse of the earth dam in the area. He said the Director General of the agency, Sidi, was aware of the concern of President Goodluck Jonathan over the frequent and undeserved exposure to flood-related hazards. He also enjoined every Nigerian to put all hands on deck towards proactive disaster prevention and mitigation measures, as a panacea to continuous economic losses which ultimately could affect our developmental planning.