The Federal Government has issued a flood warning covering 24 states and the Federal Capital Territory between September 27 and October 10, citing forecasts of heavy rainfall, rising river levels and saturated ground.
The alert was issued by the National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre under the Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management Department.
The Centre’s Director, Usman Abdullahi Bokani, said communities across the affected areas had been placed under critical, high or moderate flood-risk categories based on expected rainfall, soil moisture, surface runoff, drainage pressure and river levels.
States with communities classified as critical-risk areas include Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Adamawa, Bauchi, Taraba, Rivers, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo.
The FCT, Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Taraba, Adamawa and Kebbi also have communities listed under the high-risk category.
Major cities covered by the forecast include Makurdi, Lokoja, Minna, Port Harcourt, Benin City, Asaba, Calabar, Uyo, Aba, Onitsha, Enugu, Owerri, Ado-Ekiti, Lagos, Abeokuta, Akure, Osogbo and Ibadan.
In the FCT, locations including Abuja Municipal, Asokoro, Bwari, Garki, Gwagwalada, Gwarinpa, Kubwa, Kuje, Kwali, Lugbe, Maitama, Nyanya and Wuse were listed among areas facing high risk.
The Centre advised people in critical-risk communities to monitor conditions closely, identify evacuation routes and protect vulnerable residents and essential property.
It also warned against settling, parking, trading or storing goods on floodplains, wetlands, riverbanks and low-lying drainage channels.
State emergency agencies and local authorities were directed to strengthen monitoring of rivers, streams, bridges, culverts, drains, reservoirs and other vulnerable locations.
For high-risk areas, the Centre recommended clearing drainage channels and monitoring waterways while promptly reporting heavy rainfall, water accumulation, dam releases and unusual river-level changes.
Residents were advised to follow evacuation orders, keep children away from floodwater and avoid crossing flowing water on foot or by vehicle.
The Centre further urged households to disconnect electricity where flooding was imminent and secure medicines, important documents, food and drinking water.
It said the forecast should be assessed alongside real-time rainfall, drainage and river-level conditions, with observations from state authorities and community focal persons to inform subsequent updates.
You Might Also Like
