Lagos warns residents of 6 areas of heavy rainfall and possible flooding this week

On Tuesday, the Lagos State Government reissued a flood warning to inhabitants of specific areas within the state, urging them to stay vigilant due to anticipated intense rainfall from August 14 to 18.

Some of the listed areas in the state under threat include Apapa, Badagry, Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Ikoyi, Lagos Island and Ojo. 

This disclosure is contained in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources, Engineer Lekan Shodeinde, where the state advised residents of these areas to prepare for very heavy rainfalls which may induce flash flooding during the week and beyond. 

Precautionary measures 

Relying on a flood alert advisory issued by the Flood Emergency Warning System (FEWS) Central Hub of the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Shodeinde urged all residents of listed areas to be vigilant and watchful about rainfalls during and after the periods. 

He also urged residents of flood plains and low-lying areas to be ready to move upland till the cessation of the rains. 

The Permanent Secretary reiterated that people and motorists must also refrain from wading through floods, especially during rainfalls as there is a propensity to be washed away by the intensity of the water. 

He added that the warning has become necessary to avoid preventable loss of lives and properties that usually accompany such incidents. 

Shodeinde added that the State would step up the cleaning of all primary and secondary drains as it has always done and appealed to residents to also clean their tertiary drains in front of their tenements. 

He explained that according to the Seasonal Rainfall Pattern released by the Nigerian Meteorological Services early in the year, Lagos will experience more than average rainfall which may result in flash flooding from June till September ending. 

What you should know 

In a related development, the Federal Government through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had on Monday, August 14, 2023, warned that 19 states and 56 communities are at risk of severe flooding due to heavy rainfall within the month.  

NEMA’s Lagos Territorial Coordinator, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, had listed some of the states to include Delta, Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos, Anambra, Cross River, Bauchi, Jigawa, Osun, Kwara, Zamfara, Sokoto, Adamawa and others as well as many other communities. 

The Federal Government had also earlier disclosed 7,353 persons had been displaced with 75 casualties and 33,983 persons affected in 10 states in the flooding that has been recorded in 2023. 

It added that 866 Hectares of farmland have been destroyed so far, and 1679 Houses damaged.