Flash floods ground Lagos, paralyse businesses

File: Flooded Lagos road

BUSINESS activities were paralysed as residents and motorists battled with the effects of an early morning torrential rainfall in Lagos that caused significant traffic gridlock.

The flash floods affected roads and submerged various homes across the metropolis.

Recall that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, had predicted thundery and rainy weather activities across the nation from Monday to Wednesday, warning of possible flash floods in some areas.

NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja envisaged morning thunderstorms on Monday with moderate rains over parts of Adamawa, Taraba, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Jigawa, Kano, and Katsina, in the northern region, as well as Lagos.

The agency envisaged cloudy skies over the southern region with chances of light rain over parts of Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Anambra, Abia, Ogun, Edo, Delta, Lagos, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Bayelsa states during the morning hours.

According to it, light rains are expected over parts of Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Anambra, Osun, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Lagos, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom States later in the day.

The agency anticipated the high possibility of floods occurring over parts of Oyo, Ogun, Edo, and Delta States during the forecast period.However, yesterday’s rainfall left many motorists and commuters, who dared to move out, stranded for hours on major roads in the metropolis due to the flooded roads and streets.

The downpour, which started at about midnight into early morning, continued intermittently on Monday. It witnessed heavily flooded roads on both the Island and Mainland sides of the state.

It was gathered that while traffic on some of the roads was at a standstill during the downpour, some others witnessed slow movement as motorists struggled to wade through the flash floods.

Residents lament

A motorist, who simply identified himself as Alhaji Abu, said commuters had a hectic time navigating through the flooded path of the Odo Iya Alaro Bridge in Ikorodu at about 5 am, which was heavily flooded. Abu said: “Since the flood had covered all the potholes on the road, motorists had to be cautious not to be stranded inside the flood.”