URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND BUILDINGS IN RUINS: DAMAGE SEVERITY MAPPING OF NEIGHBORHOODS AFFECTED BY THE JUNE 2018 WINDSTORM IN BAUCHI

Abstract

Bauchi for the first time in history experienced a horrific windstorm that lasted for not more than 2 hours, but destroyed more than 20 lives and thousands urban infrastructure. This study examines the monumental damage on buildings and structures as a result of the June, 2018 windstorm disaster event in Bauchi. Handheld GPS was used in taking the location information 1662 structures affected by the windstorm. GIS was used in assessing the spatial pattern and as well mapping the extent of the damage. The results of the Average Nearest Neighbor indicate a clustered pattern with the index (ANN ratio) at 0.30 less than 1%. Similarly, the study reveals that most of the affected structures are residential land use with of 91.2% identified as damaged while the least is the recreational land use with only 0.3% structures identified as damaged by the disaster. On a district level, Jahun is the worst affected district with a total of 46.6% damaged buildings and structures. Finally, variability in annual peak wind gust trend in the last decade suggests the evidence of climate change footprints in Bauchi.