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121 LGAs in Nigeria at risk of flooding, NEMA warns
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has disclosed that “121 Local Government Areas in 27 States and the Federal Capital Territory” will experience a high probability of flood risk.
The Director-General of NEMA, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, stated this in Abuja at the presentation of disaster risk management implications of the 2021 seasonal climate prediction and annual flood outlook.
According to the NEMA DG, the prediction is due to the volume of rainfall witnessed in some parts of the country and how the runways are constructed.
“The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) 2021 flood outlook on the other hand indicate that 121 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 27 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will expect a high probability of flood risk, while 302 Local Government Areas will experience moderate risk of floods.
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“The remaining 351 Local Government Areas of Nigeria will fall within the low probable flood risk areas. Flash flood, urban flood and inundation occasioned by rise in sea level is also predicted by NIHSA.
“Riparian communities along rivers Niger and Benue are expected to experience flooding as a result of overflow of water from their banks occasioned by upstream inflow coupled with heavy siltation of river beds”.
Ahmed also raised caution in the aviation sector when he said that squall lines, thunderstorms, wind shear, microbursts, 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.
Elucidating the probable impact of the rainfall on other infrastructure, he said: “Flooding due to the predicted above-normal rainfall could erode roads and bridges which could hinder the movement of people, goods, and services.
