Following the onset of rainfall, the National Emergency Management Agency has warned that Nigeria may experience plane crashes owing to the volume of rainfall witnessed in some parts of the country and how the runways are constructed.
NEMA Director-General, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, gave the warning in Abuja Thursday at the public presentation of the disaster risk management implications of 2021 Nigerian seasonal climate prediction and annual flood outlook.
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“Squall lines, thunderstorm, wind shear, microburst, flash floods can affect runways thereby disrupting landing and take-off of aircraft, causing a delay in flights, affecting sensors along runways and can lead to plane crashes in some cases.”
He also said that flooding due to the predicted above-normal rainfall could erode roads and bridges which could hinder the movement of people, goods and services.
rainfall; while Lagos and Ogun States were also expected to experience later than normal onset dates.
He said the implications of the rain from water resources sector predicted that above-normal rainfall in some areas might lead to flash floods in urban centres and river flooding in Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Oyo, Enugu, Anambra and Akwa Ibom state.
Ahmed noted that the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency’s 2021 flood outlook indicated that 121 local government areas in 27 states and Federal Capital Territory were expecting a high probability of flood risk; while 302 local government areas would experience moderate floods.
He said the 351 remaining local government areas would fall within the low probable flood risk areas.
