NIHSA warns 14 states of flood risk

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency has issued a flood advisory, warning that 14 states may experience a medium flood risk between July 14 and July 20.

The Director-General of NIHSA, Mr Umar Mohammed, said on Wednesday that the advisory was based on the agency’s latest hydrological forecast, which projected localised flooding along major river channels and identified 16 monitoring stations as high-risk locations.

The affected states are “Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Lagos, Niger and Plateau.”

NIHSA said several local government areas and communities, including schools, health facilities and markets, could be affected if precautionary measures were not taken.

Mohammed explained that the Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) provides flood predictions and analyses of possible flood scenarios across the country during the rainy season.

He said the forecast was intended to support disaster preparedness, response planning and risk reduction by governments and relevant agencies.

The Director-General urged state governments, emergency management agencies and communities to strengthen early warning systems, evacuation plans and public awareness campaigns.

He identified Saminaka on the Karam River, the Waya Dam site on the Waya River and Amber on the Amber River as some of the critical locations on the projected flood path.

Mohammed advised residents in flood-prone communities to relocate to safer areas, clear drainage channels, avoid crossing flooded roads and stay updated with NIHSA’s flood forecasts.

He also urged emergency management agencies to pre-position relief materials and activate community-based early warning systems to minimise the impact of flooding. (NAN)