The Federal Government has decided to send early warning to 32 States of the Federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja who are at a high risk of experiencing flood disaster in 2023.
Following the report from the forecast, they presumed from the forecast that 178 local government areas in 32 States of the Federation and the FCT will fall within the high flood risk areas.
That the forecasts for 2023 indicates possibility of 178 local government areas in 32 states of the Federation and the FCT are within the high flood risk areas while 224 LGAs in 35 States including FCT, fall within the moderate flood risk areas and the remaining 372 LGAs fall within the low flood risk areas.
But the following states; Adamawa, Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, and the Federal Capital Territory are to be on a watch out and create better preventive or alternative measure to either to control or substitute means of livelihood against the 2023 flood disaster.
While high flood risk areas between the months of April and November 2023, and the level of floods in this category is expected to be high in terms of impact on the population, agriculture, livelihood livestock and infrastructure.”
Having that parts of 66 LGAs across the country falls within the highest flood areas in April, May and June while parts of 114 LGAs fall in July, August and September with 100 LGAs falling in October and November 2023.
As the 2022 flood was the worst recorded in the country so far as it affected nearly all 36 States including the FCT leaving severe devastation and destruction of properties, infrastructures, farmlands, agriculture and livestock and over 1.4 million people, 616 persons died and thousands displaced.