Lagos Gov’t Allays Fears As Flood Sacks Residents After Rainfall

Some residents of Lagos State, especially those on the Island were on Monday sacked from their homes by floods following the torrential rainfall that lasted over 12 hours in the state.

LEADERSHIP gathered that residents of Jakande in Lekki area and Ijede Community in Ikorodu had their belongings totally submerged in floods that ravaged their communities.

However, in a swift reaction, the Lagos State Government called for calm, assuring that the state has put resilient infrastructure in place to combat flash flooding.

A statement by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources,Tokunbo Wahab, informed residents that a new weather advisory from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on Monday warned of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms for the next three days.

He stated that it is not impossible that some parts of the state may experience flash flooding.

He reminded that the peculiar nature of Lagos as a coastal city and climate change makes it prone to vagaries of flash flooding and asked residents not to panic.

He explained that the level of water in the lagoon is bound to rise in Lagos as a coastal state.

Wahab urged those living in low-lying areas to be on alert, warning that with the intensity of the rainfall already experienced, those areas will encounter flash floods.

According to him, all areas that are abutting the rivers and lagoons in Lagos are also at risk of experiencing flash floods which may come with high currents.

In view of the holiday period that most pupils and students are in now, he called for extra vigilance so that they do not go outside to play under the rain or swim in the flash floods.

The Commissioner also reiterated the earlier advisory to motorists and pedestrians not to wade through floods as there is the tendency that vehicles may be submerged and people swept away with such heavy floods.

He warned residents not to engage in disposing of their refuse into the drains as the rains fall, warning that there are consequences for such acts and the refuse will end up blocking the drains and causing flash floods.

The Commissioner said the state is intensifying the year round cleaning and maintenance of all drainage channels as well as awarding contracts for the concrete lining of new ones to be able to contain run off from rainfalls, warning that whenever more than usual rain falls as Lagos has witnessed in the last 12 hours, concerted efforts are required to checkmate its effects.