The National Emergency Management Agency has deployed rescue teams to flood-affected states following fresh flooding incidents across the country.
Head of Media and Public Relations, NEMA, Manzo Ezekiel, disclosed this, saying the agency has activated its operational offices nationwide.
He said although the flood situation is not as terrible as the same period last year, the agency will not lower its guard because the rainy season is still on.
“So far, the records are better than incidents of last year. But we are not lowering our guard yet, because the season is still on,” he said.
Ezekiel explained that following a flood alert issued last week, the Director-General of NEMA activated all operational offices to be on alert for deployment.
NEMA directed its search and rescue teams to visit affected locations, coordinate with local resources and create awareness among residents about the dangers of flooding.
He disclosed that he would travel to Ebonyi State with a team to supervise response efforts, and then move to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where the situation was already serious.
He attributed flooding to both natural and human-induced factors, including poor town planning, construction on waterways and blocked drainage channels. He noted that some of the current flooding is caused by overflowing waterways that became full after sustained rainfall.
Latest flooding incidents were recorded in Bauchi, Edo, Bayelsa, Imo, Rivers, Osun, Ekiti, Abia, Anambra, Benue and Delta states, while emergency officials in Kano, Yobe, Nasarawa and Zamfara also gave updates.
In Bauchi State, six local government areas were identified as worst affected including Toro, Bauchi, Ningi, Shira, Gamawa and Kirfi.
Director in charge of Disaster Management at Bauchi SEMA, Adamu Nayola, said Toro, Bauchi, Ningi, Shira and Gamawa were affected by windstorms and heavy downpours, while Kirfi recorded flooding. Two deaths were recorded in Kirfi, while thousands of houses were damaged.
Leave a comment