Evaluation of the severity of flood impact on building structures and fabrics in Anambra West Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria

Flooding remains the most common environmental hazard with devastating effects on buildings worldwide. This study investigated the severity of flood impact on building structures and fabrics in Anambra West Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, with a sample size of 393 respondents and 100 buildings selected through simple random sampling. Questionnaires and physical observations were used for data collection. Findings revealed that aesthetic discolouring ranked as the most severe impact (mean = 4.66), followed by submerging of buildings (mean = 4.63), deterioration/degradation of building components (mean = 4.59), contamination of buildings (mean = 4.56), structural damage/cracks (mean = 4.50), disruption of serviceability (mean = 4.48), and inflow into sewage (mean = 4.06). Building collapse recorded a lower mean score of 2.58, indicating it rarely occurs. One-sample t-test analysis confirmed that flooding has a statistically significant impact on all building components (p < 0.05). The study concludes that flooding severely affects building aesthetics, structural integrity, and functionality in Anambra West. Recommendations include the use of durable building materials, structure elevation, enforcement of building codes in flood-prone areas, use of oversite concrete floors to minimize rising damp, and encouragement of concrete and sand-crete block homes and any durable building typologies and practices in the area