2020: Anambra SEMA alerts coastal communities on rain, flooding

The Executive Secretary of the Anambra SEMA, State Emergency Management Agency, Chief Paul Odenigbo has made a clarion call on the citizenry, especially persons living in flood prone communities to brace for this year’s rainy season and its attendant flooding.

In a statement made available to Tribune Online in Awka, on Saturday, Chief Odenigbo disclosed that reports from Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency, Abuja, NIHSA, indicate that rainy season is likely to commence in the South-South geopolitical zone from the 24th of this month and Northern Nigeria from the 22nd of June 2020.

He therefore implored the people of the state to immediately commence preparations to avert dire consequences from the impending natural disaster, pointing out that; “discretion is the better part of valour”, (Nkwucha aburo ujo).

He further disclosed that according to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, this year’s downpour would be heavier and last longer than that of 2019.

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Chief Odenigbo, who observed that the unsavoury development may not be unconnected with global climate change, assured that SEMA and other relevant agencies of the government, voluntary agencies and civil society groups would intervene to ameliorate the plights of persons and communities who might be adversely affected by the imminent heavy downpour and deluge.

He identified the main flood inclined communities like those in Anambra East and West, Ogbaru, Ayamelum, Onitsha North and South, as well as parts of Awka North, Idemili South, Ihiala and Ekwusigo Local Government Areas.

The SEMA boss, who revealed that his Agency would soon embark on early warning visits to sensitise residents of flood-prone Local Government Areas equally advised persons living in urban areas such as Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi, and their suburbs to take measures to curtail flash flood in their localities.

According to him, such measures include but not limited to the removal of wastes from drainage channels and desisting from careless disposal of wastes inside gutters, in addition to building illegal physical structures on natural waterways or channels.

He equally stressed the need for people to avoid driving whenever there is a downpour or using electrical appliances during thunderstorms