Nigeria: Heavy Rainfall - Lagos Warns Residents Against Flash Floods

On the heels of yesterday's torrential rains and attendant flooding in some parts of Lagos State, the state government has warned residents, especially those living in low-lying areas, to be at alert because of possible encounter with flash floods.

The warning was issued in a statement by the state Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab.

Wahab warned that the forecast gathered from the state's weather stations for today 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 rainfalls 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.

He advised parents to watch over their wards and school children many of whom were still on mid terms holidays so that they would not go outside to play under the rain or swim in the flash floods.

Wahab also reiterated the earlier warning to motorists and pedestrians not to wade through floods as there was the tendency that vehicles might be submerged and people swept away with such heavy floods.

He explained to all residents, Lagos being a coastal state, with the heavy rainfalls, the level of water in the lagoon was bound to rise and would result in a tidal lock which would prevent discharge from all collectors.

The Commissioner warned residents not to engage in disposing 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.

He said all the drains in the state were being cleaned and maintained on a year round basis to be able to contain run off from rainfalls, warning however that whenever more than usual rain fell, all concerted efforts were required to checkmate its effects.

Read the original article on Vanguard.