This Is Just Water Flooding, Expect River Flooding – NISA Tells Nigerians, Govts

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NISA) has advised Nigerians and governments to brace up for river flooding expected to hit states across the country.

The Director of Operational Hydrology of NISA, Femi Bejide, said the current flooding experienced in Borno State was a result of much water.

Speaking in an interview with Arise TV, Bejide explained that much water flooding occurs because the channels for the water to pass through are not available.

He said, “For Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NISA) it’s our responsibility to issue forecasts, alerts to the nation when the need arises and about two weeks ago, we issued a national red flood alert to the nations and to the state governments.

“Apart from that, every year by the end of February or latest by March, we also roll out one of our products that is called AFO, Annual Flood Outlook, that is year, this is how the flood scenario will look like. NEMA picks it up for their own preparedness and things like that.”

Bejide continued, “The flooding we are experiencing now, generally speaking, there are two kinds of flooding, there is flash flood and there is riverine flooding. So this one is just flash flood, that means from the precipitation what we call rainfall, excessive rainfall within a short period of time. That is what is causing this flood, just much water.

“Then there is nothing bad in much water. There are so many places across the nation that are looking for water. So this much water is available but where did they pass, through the channels? So that’s where the issue comes in.  So, and the one we are experiencing just recently and currently in Borno and things like that, maybe later on we get there, is just still also, it’s not river flooding. That’s one we are still expecting.”