Expect more floods, NIHSA alerts southern states
States in the southern belt of Nigeria have been warned to expect more flood incidents due to high rainfall intensity of long duration.
The warning was given in Abuja Monday by the Director General of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) Mr. Clement Nze while briefing newsmen on the 2019 flood early warning information.
Nze also said that relevant stakeholders, especially individuals and state governments have failed to heed the warning issued before the onset of flooding season across the country.
“Going by the prediction by Nigerian Meteorological Agency`s (NiMet), during the 2019 seasonal rainfall prediction, … there will be late onset of rainy season in Nigeria this year and early cessation.
“In orders words, rainfall will start very late and will end early; it is expected that by 26th of this month, rainfall will cease in Katsina and Sokoto and begin to move down to the south.
“But in the southern parts of Nigeria rainfall will still continue up till November and even December in places like Bayelsa, Rivers even Delta will be experiencing rainfall up to late November”, he told the reporters..
He lamented that the agency was concerned about the non-adherence to flood predictions for 2019, a situation which he said, had resulted in avoidable flooding incidents, loss of lives and property, disruption of economic activities and loss of several hectares of agricultural lands.
Nze said that as at Sept. 16, the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon was still impounding water, adding that it was not yet certain if there would be release of water from the dam in 2019.
Similarly, he said that river Benue was rising steadily, due to local rainfall with attendant heavy inflows from the tributaries of the river, noting that the situation would likely cause river flooding in Adamawa, Taraba and Benue states.
He noted that the localised urban flooding incidents being witnessed in some cities and communities were expected to continue due to high rainfall intensity of long duration.
The director general said that blockage of drains, rainstorms and poor urban planning resulting in erection of structures within the floodplain and water ways, are causing more flooding in the areas.
He enjoined state and local governments to remove structures built within the floodplains, and clear blocked drains, culverts and other waterways, to mitigate the impact of the floods.
