Lagos Alerts Residents To More Rainfall, Calls For Calm

Residents of the nation’s commercial nerve centre – Lagos State – have been alerted to coming downpours which will be accompanied with occasional thunderstorm.

The Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, who gave the alert in a statement on Sunday, added that there would also be occasional flash flood on some roads around the state.

He, however, advised residents not to panic, saying it was normal to have pools of water on the road whenever it rained consistently in a city like Lagos.

Mr. Bello also advised residents to stay off the roads if they do not have serious cause to go out in order not to be caught in a gridlock.

Bello said, “Whenever it rains heavily across the state, there is a rise in the Lagoon and ocean, which automatically locks up all the canals in the state. When the water in the ocean and Lagoon recedes, our canals will discharge into these water bodies.

“The after effect is that it takes a long time before water discharges into the Lagoon as well as the time it eliminates all backflows.

“However, it is pertinent to explain that water on the road after continuous rainfall is not flooding, but flash flood, which will definitely disappear in a matter of time because our canals are already functional.

“Lagosians are advised not to panic, but go about their business activities as our canals are regularly cleaned and maintained to contain storm water generated during the rains.

“But we advise our people, if possible, to stay off the roads when they don’t have a very serious cause to do so, in order not to be caught in the after-rain gridlock”.

The commissioner assured residents that drainage engineers and attendants were working round the clock to ensure that canals were regularly cleaned and maintained in order to free them from all blockages.

He added that the government was prepared, saying it would regularly inform residents of weather patterns, and whenever the need arises, “for people in the flood plain areas to relocate”.

Mr. Bello also urged the community development associations and resident associations to relate with engineers in the 57 councils whenever the need arose.