NiHSA Warns Lagos, Delta, Imo, and 12 Other States to Brace for Severe Flooding Within Seven Days

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA) has sounded a dire national warning, predicting that severe flooding will ravage Lagos, Delta, Imo, and 12 other states within the next seven days.

According to the hydrologists, the impending disaster is triggered by a combination of unremitting heavy rainfall and rapidly rising water levels across major river basins. Monitoring stations indicate that aquatic volume along critical corridors has reached dangerous thresholds, compounded by water releases from trans-boundary water systems and overflowing internal tributaries.

The warning highlights an extensive list of vulnerable regions spanning coastal belts, riverine communities, and poorly drained urban centers. States highlighted in the alert include Lagos, Delta, Imo, Rivers, Bayelsa, Anambra, Benue, Kogi, Niger, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Ondo, and Edo.

Emergency management agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and various state civil protection units, have activated emergency response protocols. Authorities have urged residents residing in flood-prone zones, low-lying areas, and riverbanks to heed evacuation warnings immediately, pointing out that waiting until the floodwaters peak risks lives and property.

NiHSA further called on local government councils and traditional rulers within the red-zone states to clear blocked drainage paths, open up water channels, and sensitize communities to mitigate the catastrophic impact of the impending deluge.