NiMet Warns 13 States of Flash Flood Risk as Rainy Season Peaks

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has warned that 13 states face a significant risk of flash floods this week, urging residents in low-lying and flood-prone communities to stay alert as the rainy season reaches its peak.

In an advisory covering the period from August 11 to 20, NiMet named Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Taraba, Cross River and Akwa Ibom as states most at risk. The agency said the assessment factored in rainfall intensity, soil moisture levels, drainage capacity, terrain and dam conditions across the affected areas.

NiMet flagged a range of likely impacts, including blocked roads and traffic disruption, interruptions to electricity and telecommunications, reduced visibility that could affect flights, waterlogged farmland and livestock losses, and a heightened risk of waterborne disease outbreaks in affected communities. Residents were advised to monitor weather updates and local emergency alerts, avoid driving or walking through flooded areas, and move to higher ground if conditions worsen.

Farmers were urged to improve drainage on their land and move equipment and livestock away from flood-prone zones, while state and local emergency authorities were told to strengthen surveillance and pre-position response teams. The warning is part of a broader pattern this year, with Nigerian authorities flagging flood risks across dozens of states in 2026 and drawing comparisons to the destructive flooding of 2022 and 2024, which displaced hundreds of thousands of people nationwide.

Source: Legit.ng, Daily Nigerian