Be prepared for 3 months of heavy flooding, NEMA advises state governors

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has appealed to both the Federal and State governments to put adequate measures in place to reduce the impact of the heavy flood that will be witnessed in about 28 states in the next three months

NEMA said the call became necessary considering the recent flood in some areas in Kebbi and Lagos States.

NEMA names 9 Sokoto LGAs at high risk of flooding

650,000 people affected by floods in Sudan – UN

The Agency’s Director, Search and Rescue, Air Vice Marshall Edward Adedokun, who raised the fresh alarm yesterday while touring emergency response units of the military to ascertain their level of preparedness, disclosed that more than 102 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 28 states in the country as earlier predicted would be affected by flood before the end of 2020.

NEMA had in its ‘2020 Flood Preparedness, Mitigation and Response alert’ released in July 2020 noted that 102 LGAs in 28 states fall within highly probable flood risk areas this year.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos after his tour of the Air Force Logistics Command and the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, AVM Adedokun said there are strong indications that more states would be affected this year as evidenced in Kebbi State.

He said from the predictions of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) 102 LGAs out of 28 states will be highly affected and that about 274 other LGAs will be moderately affected

He said: “The realities on the ground show that what we are seeing is already surpassing that.

“Particularly, in Kebbi State, out of the predicted 11 LGAs, we have had far and beyond that number that are already affected with loss of lives, farmlands swept away.

“And you know Kebbi contributes largely to the national food security of the nation.

“In Lagos, there are designated LGA that we have also forewarned before now and by the time we see the state government we would like to see the level of compliance with the earlier warning signs that we have passed.