Hundreds of residents in Kailahun township, Sierra Leone, are facing homelessness after a powerful windstorm struck the area on Saturday night.

The storm, which raged between 9:00 pm and 11:00 pm, caused widespread damage, leaving over fifty houses with damaged or destroyed roofs.

The storm left a trail of devastation, impacting hundreds of people, including school children, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and families. Many are now displaced, forced to seek shelter with neighbors.

The urgency of the situation is heightened by the approaching school term exams. Students like Mary Nyuma and Musa Brima, whose school supplies were damaged by the storm, pleaded for help from the government and humanitarian organizations.

While Kailahun typically experiences some rain in mid-February, the recent downpour has residents concerned about a potentially severe rainy season with heavy storms and thunderstorms.

Local authorities are taking action. District Coordinator for the Disaster Management Committee, Benson Swarray, along with Town Chief Maada Alpha Bringo Ndolleh, visited affected homes to assess the damage and collect resident information. This data will be forwarded to the National Disaster Management Committee to facilitate aid and support.