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Tag: Flood

  • More flooding danger for eastern Australia as weather starts to ease

    More flooding danger for eastern Australia as weather starts to ease

    Meteorologists warned residents of Australia’s eastern coast as weather conditions started to ease in parts of New South Wales (NSW), while the threat of flooding persists in many areas after days of torrential rain.

    Australia’s Bueau of Meteorology (BoM) said “blue skies and sunshine’’ were expected across Sydney and the Mid North Coast on Tuesday afternoon but flooding dangers remained very present.

    With some 18,000 people in NSW already evacuated, another 15,000 residents were on high alert on Tuesday as two catastrophic weather fronts roll across large swathes of the state, state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said in a morning press conference.

    In remarks to the state parliament Berejiklian spoke of a weather incident beyond anything we could have comprehended, according to Australian news wire AAP.

    Communities north-west of Sydney were ordered to evacuate amid the unrelenting rain as a massive amount of water flowed into catchments, causing rivers to break their banks.

    Major flooding was occurring along the Colo River in the Hawkesbury River region. The NSW State Emergency Service ordered about 500 people in 200 homes in the area to start evacuating on Tuesday morning.

    A flood peak similar was expected along the Colo River in the course of Tuesday, the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) said, and an evacuation warning applied to residents along the river.

    In an afternoon press conference, BoM hydrologist Victoria Dodds said that there were flood warnings and flood watches in force from the northern border with Queensland all the way down the east coast to Victoria with a developing flood situation in inland New South Wales.

    Dodds said that colleagues in Sydney who have been forecasting for over 20 years have never seen anything like it.

    “She added that there was still a very real risk of continued flooding and other dangers associated with damaging winds, hazardous surf conditions and coastal erosion.

    The highest rainfall total recorded for the current flood event 1,083 millimetres was at Mount Seaview, just west of Port Macquarie on the NSW coast north of Sydney, the BoM’s Agata Imielska said in the press conference.

    The flooding seen in the state in recent days is the worst in decades.

    Communities on the Mid-North Coast were facing the worst flooding since 1929, while Newcastle, some 140 kilometres north of Sydney, and the Nepean Valley west of the city are experiencing the worst flooding in some 50 years.

  • 30 villages submerged by flood in Yobe

    30 villages submerged by flood in Yobe

    By Bala Ajiya

    DAMATURU- Over 30 villages has been submerged by flood in Bade local government of yobe State and farm lands washed away before the harvest period .

    This is as a result of Fika Challawa Dam in Kano that got over flow and the dam water is open for easy passage to Hadeja dam .

    Gashua is prone to flood which is perenial . Almost all the raining season that use to last for 4 months , villages around Bade local government use to observed flood .

    But this year raining season have almost gone with little flooding without much damage to houses and farm land .

    When the residents thought they are done with this year flooding , they woke up last week to see houses and farm land washed away by flood from the over flown river yobe .

    The villages affected by the flood include , Kurkse , Yau , Dachia , Kazir , Karage , paya , Dawayo , Usur , Bululu , Tungar , Baure , Dagona , Bida , Bizi , Dala , Sugum etc .

    Following the assessment conducted by SEMA across 30 communities in Bade local government , the state government swung into action by providing sacks and sand and creation of embarkment .

    Affected house hold were been provided with flood items . The governor of yobe state , His Excellency , Hon . Mai Mala Buni has approved and direct immediate support to over 3500 victims of the flood .

  • Flood takes over Oba’s palace in Ekiti

    Flood takes over Oba’s palace in Ekiti

    The palace of the Alawe of Ilawe-Ekiti, Oba Ajibade Alabi was among many other buildings taken over by flood in Ekiti State on Thursday.

    The rain, which started at about 6 pm and lasted for hours, rendered many residents homeless as their houses were submerged in the after rain flood.

    A correspondent, who went round the metropolis and surrounding neighbourhood, including Ilawe-Ekiti, the headquarters of Ekiti South-West, Local Government Area of the state, observed that properties worth millions of naira were affected by the flood.

    The Media Adviser to the monarch, Chief Ajibade Olubunmi, who confirmed the palace flood incident to NAN, said it was an unfortunate natural phenomenon that had brought the people untold hardship.

    Olubunmi, a former Director of Information, Ekiti State University, said several rivers and streams overflew their banks resulting in flood as the rainfall continued for hours on Thursday night.

    It was observed that Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, many major roads were flooded while some residents were sacked from their houses and shops by the flood.

    Mr Biyi Akin-Fasae, an indigene of Ado-Ekiti, blamed the nonchalant attitude of the residents toward maintaining proper waste disposal measures for the flood.

    According to him, the residents refusal to heed the warning of the Nigerian Metrological Agency which had predicted rainfall-induced flooding, is the major cause.

    “We have been warned of this flooding. The Metrology Department has flagged Ekiti among the 17 states that are likely to experience flood but very little was done to guide against such occurrence,” he told NAN.

    Mrs Labake Adeniyi, a flood victim in Ado-Ekiti, said all efforts to salvage her wares from her submerged lock-up shop proved abortive.

    “I have lost my wares and other property to this flood menace, I’m appealing to the state government and other relevant agencies to come to our rescue,” she said.

  • Four drown as flood sacks Delta communities

    Four drown as flood sacks Delta communities

    Tragedy struck on Tuesday at Omeligboma camp in Oko community, near Asaba, Delta State, where four persons drown while fleeing from ravaging flood.

    The victims, whose identities were yet to be ascertained, were on board a boat escaping from the menacing flood when the boat suddenly capsized at the middle of the river.

    They were said to be rushing out of the trapped settlement to higher grounds when the unfortunate incident occurred.
    Captain of the ill-fated boat was said to be the only survivor of the mishap.

    The camp, our correspondent learnt, had earlier be diserted following repeated warnings by government officials that those in flood prone areas should relocate to higher plains to avoid being trapped in the predicted flood.

    However, some persons stayed behind, hoping for divine intervention to stave off the disaster.
    The victims of the boat mishap were said to be among those who stayed back until the flood assumed unbearable dimension before they attempted to flee using the boat.

    As at the time of filing this report, the bodies of the victims were yet to be recovered, although local divers were said to have intensified search.
    Meanwhile, the ravaging flood has already submerge thatched houses, farm produce and other properties in the camp.
    This is even as the flood has already cut off Asaba-Ase road leading to several communities in Isoko and Ndokwa areas of the state, with reaidents describing the disaster as unexpected.

    Most of the residents of the community, including traders from different parts of Delta State, where in the community market when the ravaging flood cut-off the access roads.

    President-General of Isoko Development Union, Iduh Amadhe who visited Ekregbesi community in Uzere Kingdom, Isoko South locality said, urgent intervention must be taken to rescue the people who are trapped.

    Amadhe added that if urgent steps are not taken, over 40 vehicles may remain at the other side of the road till November 2020.

    A trader from Igbide, Miss Florence Godspower said she passed through the road in the morning with her goods to the market, but suddenly, they were informed that the road has been cut by the ravaging flood.

    She said to cross one person across the flooded portion of the road, a commuter will spend N500 while speed boat from the market area, costs N2,000 each.

  • Flood: Dangerous reptiles invade homes in Anambra

    Flood: Dangerous reptiles invade homes in Anambra

    Dangerous reptiles have began to creep into some residential houses in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra, as a result of flood.

    Mr Arinze Awogu, Transition Chairman of Ogbaru Council Area who disclosed this on Sunday, said some displaced people were already moving into the holding camps prepared for them.

    Awogu said the level of the River Niger had continued to rise, making streets and flood channels that emptied into the River to flow backwards.

    He said no fewer than 1,000 persons have been forced out of their homes.

    Ogbaru is a coastal local government with all its 16 communities on the banks of River Niger.

    He reported that a big cobra which found its way into an apartment in Atani, was killed with the assistance of operatives from the Atani Divisional Police Station.

    According to him, the cobra was killed in Atani, the man in whose house it was killed miraculously escaped being bitten by the snake the previous night as he went into his Boys Quarters in search of some documents.

    “On sighting the snake, he quickly shut the door and invited the police from Atani police division who teargassed the room and the reptile became uncomfortable, but as it made its way out, it was killed by those around,” he said.

    Awogu advised people of the area to always shut their doors at all times and spread repellants to ward off the unwanted guests as most of them had been displaced from their natural habitat.

    “Snakes and other dangerous reptiles are being driven out of their habitats by the flood and people’s homes are likely to be where the deadly animals may be seeking refuge,” he said.

    The council chairman said more people were being displaced from their homes by the flood and that they had started moving into the three holding camps in the council.

    He regreted that flooding had become a yearly experience for the people and assured them of care while in the camps.

    “People are leaving their homes and heading to the holding centres created by the Anambra government for people in flood-prone local government areas.

    “The task now is to ensure they have the necessities of existence like food, healthcare and other facilities, while waiting for the flood to recede.

    “In addition to what the state government is doing, we are calling on the Federal Government through NEMA to come to our aid,” he said.

  • Sad! 24 perish in Jigawa flood disaster

    Sad! 24 perish in Jigawa flood disaster

    An adolescent and 23 other persons have died in a flood disaster in Jigawa State which affected mostly displaced 51,000 families spread over 24 local government areas.

    The Executive Secretary, Jigawa State Emergency Relief Management Agency, (SEMA), Yusuf Babura confirmed the death of 21 persons yesterday and said: “the majority of the deceased were children.”

    Babura said: “Many of the victims lost their lives as a result of building collapse caused by heavy rainfall in the areas, and others washed away by over flooded rivers”.

    He stated that over 50,000 families have been displaced, while a hundred thousand hectares of farmlands were submerged and all produce lost to the flood.

    Affected areas which include Maruta, Babaldu, Samamiya in Birnin-Kudu and Gwaram local government areas by our reporter indicate crops destroyed by the flood like millet, guinea corn, rice and maize valued at billions of naira.

    “Report available to us show that four people died in Gwaram, while three died in Babura, Ringim and Malam Madori local government areas and two in Birnin-Kudu and Guri local government areas.”

    It was learnt that the disaster affected 24 of 27 local government areas, in which the situation worsened in 17 local Government areas.

    He said so far, the agency has embarked on the distribution of emergency relief items to the victims as the agency partnered with some councils, camped victims in public buildings, mostly schools. “The relief items include food items, medicine, sugar and canoes. So far we gave out 10 canoes to some communities surrounded by water at Kirikasamma and Guri local government areas.”

  • FCT emergency agency warns residents of severe flood

    FCT emergency agency warns residents of severe flood

    The FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has once again warned FCT residents to avoid flooded areas to avert the dangers of falling victims of flood.

    The Director-General of FEMA, Alhaji Idriss Abbas, made the call in a statement on Sunday,

    He said most of the deaths recorded in the past from flood in the FCT were as a result of non-compliance to instructions and early warnings.

    Abbas, therefore, emphasised the need for residents to adhere to instructions and early warnings from relevant authorities.

    He added that attitudinal change was the key to reducing disasters to the barest minimum in the FCT.

    He disclosed that the Search and Rescue team of the agency recently discovered the body of one Mr Garba Joseph, 43 year old from Akoka-Edo of Edo State, after two days search from a flooded river around TradeMoore Estate, Lugbe, in Abuja

    “Narrating the incident, an eye witness account (one of FEMA’s volunteer/vanguard Kenneth Chima) who captured the incident on video explained that they were four men that tried walking through the water.

    “And I kept warning them to go back, three of them went back but only this man insisted on crossing, unfortunately the water overpowered him and washed him away,” he said.

    He decried the increasing rate of flood in the FCT due to residents’ apathy towards government’s directives and early warnings.

    “This is also despite FEMA’s consistent sensitisations based on The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) predictions of torrential rainfall and dangers of flooding.“

    He said NIHSA’s most recent predictions warned of torrential rainfall and flooding from August, adding that FEMA had carried out aggressive sensitisation to educate residents on ways to prevent the impending flood.

    He said FEMA was conducting sensitisation programmes in five different indigenous languages in the FCT using different media channels.

    “We recently organized a meeting with our Volunteers, Vangards and Divers from all the area Councils within the FCT to educate them on how they can sensitise their people on how to prevent disasters to minimize loss of lives and properties.

    “We also embarked on community to community flood sensitisation campaigns in the FCT and mounted billboards at all the flood prone points warning off and cautioning residents from these danger areas.”

    The DG, who reiterated the agency’s commitment to reducing disasters to a barest minimum in the FCT, called on residents to complement the efforts of the FCT Administration by doing the needful.

    He also advised residents not to underestimate the strength of water when it was flooded.

    “What we are experiencing now is flash flood, the water builds up speedily and comes unnoticed hence very dangerous,” he said.

    He called on community and religious leaders to take responsibility of sensitising their subjects, especially those who are living close to flood prone areas to move to higher grounds to avoid being washed away by flood.

    He said that relevant authorities have been on their toes evacuating refuse around the FCT, distilling drainages and expanding narrow water channels to enable free flow of water for a safer FCT.

  • Lagos identifies four LGAs to be worst affected by flood, warns residents to relocate

    Lagos identifies four LGAs to be worst affected by flood, warns residents to relocate

    The Lagos State Government on Thursday identified four local governments that may be sacked by rampaging flood between now and September and asked residents in the affected areas to be prepared to relocate.

    The LGs are: Lagos Mainland, Mushin, Ibeju-Lekki and Ikorodu.

    The State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources in a release signed by the Commissioner, Mr Tunji Bello, said the four listed Local Governments areas will witness more high intensity rainfall between now and September.

    He therefore urged the residents of the listed four LGs, especially those with structures in low lying areas to relocate during this period to avoid any untoward incident which may come with flooding and resultant loss of lives and properties.

    Tunji Bello, quoting excepts from the Annual Flood Outlook released by the Hydrological Services Agency on May 28 this year, also identified 14 other Local Government areas as those who would face probable flood risks this year.

    He listed the Local Governments with probable flood risks as Lagos Island, Alimosho, Amuwo Odofin, Ikeja, Kosofe, Eti-Osa, Apapa, Ojo, Oshodi/Isolo, Agege, Ifako Ijaiye, Badagry, Surulere and Ajeromi-Ifelodun.

    The Commissioner stated that the Ministry will intensify efforts at clearing and cleaning the drains and removing pet bottles and styro foams as exemplified by the efforts of the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang all over the black spots in the state.

    He added that it is regrettable that several heaps of pet plastic bottles, styro foams and solid waste are daily being excavated from the drainage channels in areas like Mushin, Idi Oro, Idi Araba, LUTH and Mile 2.

    Bello stressed that investigation has also shown that some traders especially in Mushin dump waste from their daily sales and articles straight into the drains, thus inhibiting the free flow of water into its channels.

    He urged residents to desist from clogging drainage channels with refuse especially those already cleaned up recently, adding that the unpatriotic act of some residents is putting the lives of those working on the drains in danger.

    Bello said anyone caught dumping refuse in any drainage channel will face the full wrath of the law.

    He appealed to residents of Bariga who have been adversely affected by sandfilling carried out in the area in the past to bear with the state as the ministry is working assiduously to ensure that the alignment is properly restored.

  • Flood renders Benin residents homeless

    Flood renders Benin residents homeless

    Many residents of Benin, the capital of Edo State, have been rendered homeless following several hours of heavy down pour on Saturday.

    Several houses were submerged by the flood and others destroyed. Aside the destruction and submerging of houses, several cars were also destroyed by the flood.

    While only a few part of the city was spared by the flood, the areas worst hit included most parts of the GRA, 1st East Circular, Akenwan road, Sakponba road, Erediauwa, off Sapele road, Okhoro as well as Ugbowo areas of the city.

    Residents, who are still busy scooping water from their homes, have continued to lament over the destruction of their properties by the flood.

    Some of the victims of the flood who spoke with NAN, painted a gloomy future if they are not assisted by the government to recover some of their losses.

    Moses Izekor, while describing the situation as pathetic, said they watched hopeless as the flood completely submerged their house and destroyed properties.

    Izekor who resides in Erediauwa, off Sapele road, blamed the flood in the area to the newly constructed road with poor water channels.

    “When this road was being constructed, we complained about the way the channeling of the flood was being carried out but nobody listened to us. This is just about the first heavy rain this year and see what we are already experiencing,” he stated.

    Also Uwadiac Osagie, a resident of Edosonwan around Ugbor, GRA, said residents of the area were all trapped in their homes by the flood.

    He said if not for the intervention of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), they would now be narrating a different story.

    The situation was not different with Mr Osazuwa Ighodaro, living in Erie, off Sakponba road, whose building caved in under the impact of the flood.

    However, the government has attributed the flood to non adherence to building regulation and indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainage.

    Mr Yakubu Gowon, Special Adviser on Spacial Duties to the Governor, stated this while going round to assess the level of damages caused by the flood.

    According to him, “These are the things the governor has always emphasised; that we obey building regulations and stop indecrimate waste disposal.

    “We need to help ourselves because the government is doing a lot to ensure the city is rid of flooding incidents.”

  • Tragedy! Flood sweeps 4-year-old girl away in Lagos

    Tragedy! Flood sweeps 4-year-old girl away in Lagos

    The downpour recorded in Lagos State has claimed its first casualty, a 4years old girl, that was confirmed to have been swept away by flood recorded in Orile-Agege Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

    According to reports, the affected child was identified as Azeezat and was said to have been swept away when her community and two others experienced flooding caused by persistent rainfall which has crippled activities within the axis.

    The three communities flooded during the downpour that lasted for several hours on Thursday were Igbayiola street, Fashola street, and Egbatedo street in Orile-Agege LCDA.

    An eyewitness narrated that Azeezat fell in a ditch while trying to escape with her family when the entire community was submerged by flood minutes after the rainfall started earlier today across the state.

    The Director-General of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement accessing the extent of flooding recorded in the community, hinted that search and rescue for the child had commenced.

    Oke-Osanyintolu, who led emergency officials to the scene, blamed the flood recorded on blockage of community drainage channels leading to Aboru, Arigbanla, and Iyana-Ipaja canals.

    He hinted that the emergency officials were alerted of the tragedy at about 10:30 am and that on arrival, a Post Disaster Assessment was carried out in collaboration with National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) officials.

    “Upon arrival at the incident scene in the company of NEMA officials, it was gathered from residents that a 4-year-old girl named “Azeezat” fell into a flooded big ditch/gutter while escaping to safety with her family in the wee hour of the night after their compound was submerged by flood.

    “And after the Post Disaster Assessment, it was observed that three streets, (Igbayiola street, Fashola Street, Egbatedo street, were affected by the heavy rainfall.

    “There are barriers blocking the drainage channels in the affected areas leading to the canals at Aboru, Arigbanla and Iyana Ipaja which could have also caused the flooded from flowing away”.