Anambra Flooding: NEMA Urges Flood-Prone Communities To Relocate Upland

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has advised flood-prone communities in Anambra State to begin relocation to the upland to avoid the looming flooding in the state.
Acting Coordinator, NEMA, Enugu Zonal Office, Thickman Taminu, gave the advice while speaking with Newsmen in Awka.
Taminu said the Nigerian Meteorological Agency’s (NIMET) prediction of flooding in Anambra was still valid.
He stated that the prospect of flooding had not been fully averted in the state, as 15 local government areas were predicted to be highly vulnerable.
According to him, there are two waves of flooding that are usually experienced annually.
“The one that is going on now is the heavy rain-induced category, while the one that occurs due to an overflow of rivers from waters running into the Ocean is looming,” he said.
The NEMA official, therefore, advised farmers and residents of flood-prone areas to start harvesting early.
He also urged them to move to higher planes to avoid the loss of lives and destruction of their farm produce.
“What we experience now are floods that come from rain and disappear almost immediately.
“However, the one that comes from overflow of rivers and dams is still coming as predicted by NIMET.
“So, we advise people to consider early harvest and relocation to higher land to minimise losses,” he said.
Taminu, however, said the agency had not received an invitation from the Anambra State Government “to either come and assess the situation or intervene in flood-related challenges”.
He said the Anambra Emergency Management Agency is the lead response agency in the state and that NEMA could only move in when invited by the state.
According to him, there was a need for timely assessment to enable NEMA to take proactive measures that would lead to early intervention.