Nigeria Set To Experience Flood Take Over In 50 LGAs, 16 States

The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has released its 2015 flood outlook, and it's not looking good.

See if your state or LGA will be flooded after the jump:

According to the NIHSA, about 16 states across the federation and 50 local government areas are expected to experience high flood in the next few months.

The NIHSA Director General, Dr Moses Beckley, says that the 16 states fall under what they call high flood risk areas while another 25 states and 104 local government areas fall under the moderate flood risk areas.

He also says that the outlook which relied on the rain fall pattern already released by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, comes with the aim of providing government at all levels information to embark on preventive and mitigation measures (another form of saying, grab your umbrella and sandals).

Dr. Beckley says: “It is recommended that government at all levels embark on flood prevention and mitigation measures such as construction of reservoirs, weirs as well as the continuous sensitisation of the people living in flood plains which would ensure sustainable socio-economic development in the country".

He's also pointing out that 60 per cent of the expected flood would be as a result of heavy rains, adding that the effect of the flood may go beyond the inland extent of the mapped area.

The expected areas for river flooding in 2015 are located in the Niger and Benue river basins, Sokoto-Rima Basin, Anambra, Cross River, Niger Delta and several other sub-basins of the country.

“Of these basins, Sokoto-Rima, Niger, Benue basins and part of Anambra basin are areas to expect the high risk flood,” Beckley said.