HEAVY STORM HITS NIMBA-16 HOUSES IN RUINS; TWO PERSONS ON CRITICAL LIST

BY: MAC SAMAH

HEAVY HAIL STORM HAS DESTROYED SIXTEEN HOUSES AND WOUNDED TWO PERSONS IN YARSONNOH TOWN, NIMBA COUNTY. THE STORM, ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESSES, STARTED LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT ABOUT 5:00 PM ON MAY 15 LIKE A BREEZE BUT TURNED VIOLENT IN FEW MINUTES THUS LEAVING MORE THAN HALF A MILLION U.S DOLLARS  WORTH OF PROPERTIES DAMAGED.

MOST OF THE ZINCS FROM THE BUILDINGS COULD BE SEEN AS HIGH AS TWENTY METERS OVER THE BRANCHES OF WILD FOREST TREE AT THE OUTSKITE OF THE TOWN COMPLETELY USELESS WHICH PROVES THE STORM WAS VERY SERIOUS.

THE TWO HIGH HIT PERSONS; A BOY ONE MONTH OLD AND LADY 25 WERE TAKEN TO THE KARNWEE COMMUNITY CLINIC WHERE THEY ARE UNDER GOING TREATMENT. OUR SOURCES DISCLOSED THAT THE BOY WAS HIT BY A PIECE OF BRICK ON HIS CHEST.  BOTH ARE SAID TO BE DOING WELL.

IT CAN BE RECALLED THAT YARSONNOH WAS BURNT DOWN COMPLETELY DURING FIERCE BATTLE BETWEEN GOVERNMENT TROOP AND NPFL FORCES EARLY MARCH 1990. PEOPLE FLED INTO BUSHES FOR SAFETY IN SEPARATE VILLAGES WITH LOVE ONES AND FAMILIES. FOR THE LOVE OF THE TOWN, A WEEKLY MARKET WAS ESTABLISHED WHICH ENCOURAGED FAMILIES TO COME TO THE TOWN TO CLEAN IT. BY 1995, A GOOD NUMBER OF THE CITIZENS HAD PUT UP MAKESHIFT STRUCTURES ON THEIR FORMER HOUSE SPOT OR RETURNED.

LIVES HAD SINCE RETURNED TO YARSONNON. BUT THE STORY CHANGED ON FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 WHEN A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF A NEW COMMUNITY CALLED JOHN B.VOKER COMMUNITY WAS DAMAGED BY STORM.

MEANWHILE, CITIZENS OF YARSONNOH ARE CALLING ON GOVERNMENT AND PARTNERS TO COME TO HELP THEM WITH FOOD AND BUILDING MATERIALS INORDER TO REBUILD THEIR DAMAGED HOMES.

THE TOWN IS COMPLETELY IN RUINS AND THE VICTEMS ARE BEEN SLEEPING OUTSIDE FOR DAYS SINCE THE DISASTER.