Downpour, flood in days ahead: Lagos reveals areas residents should vacate
Borno Flood
File Photo
•Speaks on temporary shelters
•Commissioner Wahab warns: Lives may be at risk, commercial activities disrupted, flights at airports delayed
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, issued a nationwide weather alert, forecasting widespread thunderstorms and heavy rainfall across all regions of the country in the days ahead.
The weather advisory warned of possible flash flooding, disruptions to daily activities, and safety hazards associated with severe conditions.
In line with the warning, the Lagos State government has issued a flood alert to residents, particularly those in low-lying areas.
As a coastal city, Lagos is particularly vulnerable to flooding.
Heavy rainfall often leads to flooding in communities, particularly on the Island with attendant disasters including loss of lives, building collapse and health hazards, among others.
Meanwhile, the state government assured residents of adequate preparation for any eventualities and urged them to take proactive action.
It directed those people living in low lying areas, such as floodplains, to relocate to higher ground in their own interest to prevent possible loss of lives.
Government said it has provided measures such as temporary shelters at various relief camps to residents of affected areas.
Above normal rainfall forecast
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, while giving Year 2025 Seasonal Climate Predictions, SCP, and socio-economic implications for Lagos, sometime in January, disclosed that the state was expected to experience above normal rainfall in 2025, with a total of an annual amount of 1952mm predicted rainfall.
Wahab added that due to the strong winds being expected during the onset and the end of each rainy season, lives and properties might be at risk with commercial activities disruption, flight delays and resulting revenue loss could also arise.
Residents of low-lying wetland areas of the state were alerted to relocate upland in order to avoid needless loss of lives and property when the need arises.
He stressed, “The forecast for this year is based on the neutral phase of the El-Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) which is expected to persist in the first six to eight months of the year.
“This also implies early onset of the rainy season, longer than normal length and delayed end of the rainy season in Lagos. As a result, above normal rainfall amounts are anticipated in the first peak of the rainy season while normal rainfall amounts are expected in the second peak of the rainy season.
“Additionally, the rainfall from neighbouring Ogun, Oyo and Osun States, dams release and rivers water levels into the state will be monitored closely.”
Strong winds
It is also expected that the high amounts of rainfall sometimes would lead to flash flooding events in some parts of the state.
Because strong winds are expected during the onset and the end of each rainy season, lives and properties may be at risk, commercial activities disruption, flight delays and resulting revenue loss could also arise.
Wahab stated that Lagos has put in place its own network of weather stations as well as river gauge stations to monitor the weather and river levels in the state as well as increase preparedness for weather and flood related issues.
The ministry is, however, collaborating with NiMet in the annual SCP which has been valuable as a vital weather and early warning tool for farmers, planners, decision makers and operators of the various sectors and businesses that are likely to be impacted by the annual rainfall.
“As a coastal state Lagos have three essential challenges: Sea level rise is real to us, excessive rainfall is real to us and excessive heat is real to us. We can deny it. It’s science proven.
“So what we have to do as a proactive measures and responsible government is to provide all year round. Not just with the infrastructure but with the people. They must take ownership of their environment”.
June 13 torrential rain
Recall that on June 13, the state witnessed a torrential rain with attendant flooding in some parts, the state government issued a warning, for the umpteenth time, to residents living in low-lying areas to be at alert because of possible encounter with flash floods.
Wahab warned that the forecast gathered from the state’s weather stations for that day “and the next few days” had a geostationary imagery showing thunderstorms and widespread convective rainfall with dense cloud cover.
He added that what the geostationary imagery meant in simple language was that many areas would experience very heavy rainfall and flash floods which the people had been alerted about earlier in the year.
According to him, all areas abutting the rivers and lagoons in Lagos were also at risk of experiencing flash floods which might come with high currents.
The Commissioner cautioned all residents who might not have serious businesses to conduct outside their homes during the rains to tarry and wait till it subsided before they got out to be able to determine the intensity and how to prepare.
Wahab advised parents to watch over their wards and school children so that they would not go outside to play under the rain or swim in the flash floods.
Flood free city
On the SCP, the Commissioner continued, “At this juncture, let me assure you that our State will continue to reap the benefits of careful and rigorous planning, as our flood control measures are being stepped up to contain any imminent rainfall.
“To ensure a flood-free and hygienic environment in the state, the Ministry has embarked on an all-year-round drainage maintenance programme for effective and efficient flood control, in addition to an efficient and sustainable solid waste management system.
“To effectively contain flooding in our state, we are determined to continue the long-established synergy and partnership with the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority, OORBDA, which has ensured control and monitoring of the steady and systemic release of water from Oyan Dam to prevent flooding of the downstream reaches of the Ogun River.
“This mutual relationship has been highly beneficial in the past, and we intend to sustain it.
Low-lying areas
“Therefore, the low-lying areas of Agiliti, Agboyi, Itowolo and Ajegunle communities in Lagos State are being closely monitored with respect to the likelihood of Ogun River overflowing its banks as well as all other river basins in the state.
“The Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) will as usual be on standby to make sure advertising and communication agencies comply with regulations on the safety of billboards and telecommunication masts to prevent the incidences of telecommunication mast collapse caused by high wind speed, as it is expected during the onset and cessation of every rainfall season.
“This is to put all emergency response organizations, traffic management organizations, and other emergency-related organizations on high alert to help lessen the damaging effects of thunderstorms and associated heavy rainfall in the state.”
The Commissioner noted that in several coastal cities across the world, it is occasionally normal to have flash floods when it rains, which will percolate or drain off rapidly, a few hours after.
“It is only when such floods remain on the roads for several hours that we can report that a particular area is flooded. I therefore wish to plead with the media to avoid sensational headlines that cause panic”, Wahab said.
“We all need to be wary of another contributory factor to flooding which is the rise in Lagoon level. Anytime there is high tidal movement, it may “lock up” the discharge points of drainage channels and until it recedes, there will be no discharge.
“Such occurrences also cause backflow, resulting in flash flooding. But as soon as the Lagoon water level recedes, all the generated storm water will immediately be discharged, and our roads will be free.
“The present proactive administration in the State, in response to the above phenomena, has strengthened the Flood Early Warning Systems (FEWS) to deliver reliable, timely and effective flood information at an appropriate response time to also aid adequate preparations.
“We will continue to step up our enlightenment efforts to sensitize and advise communities in coastal and low-lying wetland areas of the State, to move upland in order to avoid needless loss of lives and property, when the need arises.
“We will also continue to protect our water bodies from indiscriminate discharge of solid waste as well as erection of illegal structures along the drainage alignment/setback.”
Flood plains
The state government is also sensitizing residents along flood plains of major rivers and drainage channels, such as; Owode, Iwaya, Makoko, Badia, Ijora, Isaalu, Pota, Shibiri, among others to always be on the alert and ready to relocate to higher ground when the need arises.
“We shall, as usual, notify such residents at the appropriate time when it becomes inevitable.
However, during the rainy season this year, motorists should as a matter of precautionary measure observe prescribed speed limits on the roads to avoid losing control or skidding off the highways”, the Commissioner stated.
“To our people, we sincerely appeal that they refrain from acts that can lead to flash flooding. They should stop indiscriminate dumping of refuse in unauthorised places, clogging drains with silt or construction materials, erecting structures within and around Drainage Right of Ways and setbacks.
Wahab urged residents to become whistleblowers by reporting cases of drainage blockages, dumping of waste into canals and other unauthorised places to state Resident Engineers across all Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas and zero tolerance offices statewide.
“The contact details of Drainage Engineers are available in all our 57 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas to attend to all drainage-related matters during and after the rainy season,” the commissioner stated.
Above all, the commissioner warned residents not to engage in disposing of their refuse into the drains as the rains fell, warning that there were consequences for such acts and the refuse would end up blocking the drains and causing flash floods.
Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, also assured, “We are ready, in all our local government areas we have put machinery in place. We have established a local emergency committee and local emergency agencies. The aim is to put in place community resilience.”
QUOTE: Residents of low-lying wetland areas of the state were alerted to relocate to upland in order to avoid needless loss of lives and property
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