Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency, Mustapha Ahmed, says the FCT, Kano, Kaduna, Yobe, Bauchi and Jigawa are likely to observe below average rainfall this year.
He said this in Abuja yesterday at the public presentation of the 2023 Climate-Related Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Strategies document.
He said Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom, Delta and Cross River were expected to record rainfall amounts of 2700mm and above.
He said based on the 2023 Annual Flood Outlook released by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, 66 local government areas were at high risk of flooding from April to June; 148 LGAs, July to September; and 100 others, October and November.
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“In addition, a total of 41 LGAs fall within the moderate flood risk areas in the months of April to June; 199 LGAs in the months of July to September, and 72 LGAs in the months of October and November.
“This year’s forecast has indicated that there is a high risk of coastal flooding due to expected rise in sea level and tidal surge that may negatively impact agriculture, human settlements and transportation in Bayelsa, Delta, Lagos and Rivers States.
“Flash and urban floods are also forecasted over many cities and towns due to poor drainage system and the lack of compliance to town planning and environmental regulations.”
Ahmed said this year might record floods similar to that of last year, if not more.
He recalled: “Last year’s floods resulted in 665 deaths and injury to 3,181 persons nationwide. A total of 4,476,867 persons were affected; 2,437,411 persons displaced, about 944,989 farmlands were damaged and 355,986 houses were partially or totally destroyed by floods.”
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