A Global Warning and a Call for Caution in Ado Ekiti
From Nigeria to the United States, Mexico and Canada, the experience of recent years demonstrates that flood risk is universal and that human caution remains the first line of defence
By Asiwaju Oludotun Adetunberu
Flooding is a natural hydrological phenomenon. Rain falls, rivers rise and water moves through natural drainage systems. But when the volume or speed of water exceeds the capacity of rivers, drainage channels, roads, bridges and other infrastructure, a natural phenomenon can quickly become a disaster. The experience of the world in recent years provides a compelling warning.
Flood disasters do not respect national boundaries, economic status or technological advancement. They occur in developing countries and in some of the world’s most technologically advanced societies. What differs is not whether countries can experience flooding, but how effectively they anticipate, manage and respond to the hazard.
According to the Emergency Events Database (EM DAT), 2025 recorded 119 flood disasters worldwide, while flooding contributed substantially to the year’s disaster mortality. EM DAT’s assessment records 5,235 flood related deaths, with an important qualification: its figures can include people reported missing and presumed dead.
This qualification is particularly important when discussing casualty figures because responsible public communication should distinguish between confirmed deaths and people who remain missing.
NIGERIA’S OWN SOBERING EXPERIENCE
Nigeria was not spared. On 28 May 2025, torrential rainfall triggered a devastating flash flood in Mokwa, Niger State. The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, reported 159 deaths, more than 98 people missing and at least 11 injured in its June 2, 2025 situation report. NEMA also reported damage to more than 265 homes and significant damage to infrastructure, including the Mokwa Bridge.
EM DAT’s later assessment recorded 1,100 deaths, comprising 500 confirmed deaths and approximately 600 people missing and presumed dead. The two figures should not be presented as contradictory without explaining the difference in methodology and timing. What is beyond dispute is the severity of the Mokwa disaster. It demonstrates why communities must never regard flood warnings as routine announcements to be ignored.
EVEN THE UNITED STATES IS VULNERABLE
The United States provides perhaps one of the clearest demonstrations that advanced technology does not make a society immune to flooding. On 4 July 2025, a devastating flash flood struck the Texas Hill Country. According to the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Guadalupe River in Kerr County rose by more than 20 feet within a few hours, while more than 100 people lost their lives and thousands of homes were destroyed.
This was not a disaster in a country lacking sophisticated meteorological and emergency management capabilities. The United States possesses some of the world’s most advanced weather forecasting, satellite observation and emergency warning systems.
Indeed, NOAA reports that its forecasting and satellite systems provided information that supported the issuing of warnings before the Texas disaster. The lesson is therefore not that early warning systems are ineffective. Quite the opposite. The lesson is that even with sophisticated forecasting, rapidly developing floods can become life threatening within a very short period.
And when people encounter floodwater, individual judgement remains critically important.
MEXICO’S EXPERIENCE
Mexico also suffered devastating flooding in October 2025 following extraordinary rainfall across several states.
The Mexican Government reported 76 deaths and 31 people unaccounted for on 21 October 2025 following the emergency in Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo and Querétaro.
The event caused major disruption to roads and isolated communities, requiring emergency assistance to reach affected populations.
The Mexican example reinforces a fundamental principle of disaster management: once major roads and bridges are inundated, ordinary transportation can rapidly become impossible, while emergency access becomes much more difficult.
CANADA: DEVELOPMENT DOES NOT ELIMINATE FLOOD RISK
Canada provides another important lesson. The Canadian Government describes flooding as the country’s most common and costly natural hazard, reporting approximately C$800 million in annual insured losses over the preceding decade. It also acknowledges that exposure to flood hazards is increasing because of extreme precipitation and development in flood prone areas.
Canada has consequently invested in extensive flood hazard mapping, with more than 400 mapping related projects involving federal, provincial and territorial authorities.
This is an important lesson for Nigeria.
The objective of disaster management is not to pretend that flooding can be completely eliminated. Rather, governments must identify vulnerable areas, improve infrastructure, provide reliable warnings and enable citizens to make informed decisions before danger becomes catastrophe.
THE LESSON FOR ADO EKITI
Against this global background, the present rainy season deserves particular caution in Ado Ekiti.
Ado Ekiti has experienced flooding during episodes of intense rainfall, and the Ekiti State Government has previously warned residents to avoid flooded areas, particularly during heavy rainfall. The state government has also identified the importance of dredging waterways, desilting drainage channels, improving disaster response and preventing indiscriminate dumping of refuse.
The danger is not theoretical.
In March 2024, following torrential rainfall, the body of a man believed to have been a commercial motorcyclist was recovered from the Ureje River. The Ekiti State Government consequently appealed to residents not to drive or trek during torrential rainfall capable of causing sudden flooding. These experiences provide a strong basis for caution.
The locations identified in the current public safety advisory include:
- Elemi Bridge and Elemi River, along the Afao Road and Iworoko Road axis;
- Ayemi or Ayeyemi Garage Bridge, Iworoko Road;
- Ureje Bridge and Ureje River, around the Federal Polytechnic Road and Ado Ijan Ikare Road axis;
- Olorunsogo and Olorunsogo Ikigbinsin Bridge;
- Faglo Bridge, around Old Iyin Road and Olorunda Zone 4;
- Adere Bridge and Adere area, along Ilawe Road; and
- Olorunda Bridge and the surrounding Olorunda area.
These locations should be treated with particular caution whenever intense rainfall causes water to rise across roads, bridges or drainage channels. They should not, however, be described as permanently dangerous or officially classified flood risk zones without a formal engineering or government designation.
DO NOT TEST FLOODWATER WITH YOUR LIFE
Perhaps the most important message for residents is simple:
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOODED BRIDGES OR ROADS.
Floodwater can be deceptive. What appears to be shallow may be considerably deeper than it looks. A submerged road may have been damaged by erosion. A drainage channel may be concealed beneath the water. A strong current can destabilise a motorcycle, vehicle or pedestrian within seconds. The fact that another person has crossed does not establish that the route is safe. Never use another person’s survival of a crossing as your own safety assessment.
For motorists and motorcyclists, the appropriate response when confronted with dangerous floodwater is to stop and seek a safer alternative. For pedestrians, the same principle applies.
STOP. TURN BACK. WAIT.
No appointment, business transaction, social engagement or journey is more important than human life.
DO NOT RUSH HOME THROUGH A FLOODED ROUTE
There is also a need for families to understand the psychology of emergencies.
When heavy rainfall prevents loved ones from returning home, anxiety naturally increases. People may decide to go out in search of relatives, friends or colleagues.
But rushing into a flooded route can create another victim.
If a person is already in a secure location, it may be safer to remain there until the water recedes or a safe route becomes available.
Families should therefore maintain communication whenever possible and encourage stranded relatives to remain in safe locations.
FLOOD SAFETY IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY
Government has an important role to play through:
early warning systems;
drainage and waterway maintenance;
flood risk mapping;
bridge and road maintenance;
responsible urban planning;
emergency response; and
public education.
Citizens also have responsibilities.
Indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drainage channels can obstruct the movement of water and worsen urban flooding. The Ekiti State Government has repeatedly appealed to residents to avoid dumping refuse and constructing structures on waterways.
Parents should educate children about the dangers of playing around flooded rivers, culverts and drainage channels.
Motorists and motorcyclists should obey warnings and avoid attempting to cross flooded routes.
Community leaders should promptly communicate credible warnings to residents.
FROM FLOOD RESPONSE TO FLOOD RISK REDUCTION
The international experience demonstrates that modern disaster management must move beyond reacting after tragedy has occurred. The emphasis should increasingly be on risk reduction and preparedness.
Early warning is important.
Flood mapping is important.
Drainage infrastructure is important.
Environmental discipline is important.
Emergency response is important.
But individual behaviour is equally important.
A sophisticated weather forecasting system cannot physically prevent a motorist from entering a flooded road.
A satellite cannot prevent a pedestrian from stepping into a swollen river.
An emergency agency cannot rescue everyone if people knowingly enter dangerous floodwater.
That is why public awareness remains one of the most important components of disaster risk reduction.
THE GLOBAL MESSAGE IS CLEAR
The stories of Mokwa, Texas, Mexico and Canada’s continuing flood risk demonstrate a common reality.
Flooding is not a problem confined to Africa.
It is not a problem confined to developing countries.
It is a global natural hazard.
It affects communities with limited infrastructure and countries possessing some of the world’s most advanced forecasting and emergency management systems.
The appropriate response is therefore neither panic nor complacency. It is preparedness, vigilance and responsible behaviour.
For residents of Ado Ekiti, the message during periods of intense rainfall should be unequivocal:
Do not cross a flooded bridge.
Do not drive into moving floodwater.
Do not ride a motorcycle through dangerous floodwater.
Do not allow children to play around swollen rivers or drainage channels.
Do not ignore credible flood warnings.
Do not rush home through an unsafe route.
And if you are already in a safe place when flooding occurs:
STAY THERE UNTIL IT IS SAFE TO MOVE.
Flooding may be a natural phenomenon, but preventable deaths need not be.
The ultimate objective of disaster management is not merely to rescue people after disaster strikes. It is to reduce exposure, strengthen preparedness and ensure that as many people as possible remain out of harm’s way.
No journey is worth a human life.
May the souls of the departed continue to rest
Asiwaju Oludotun Adetunberu, B.Sc.,(Geology ) B.Sc (Peace and Conflict Studies) PGDJ (in view), MPA, M.Sc., Ph.D., ( Peace and Security Studies) DR-FiGPCM, cpsc, cpcp, FiCSS FiCSSM 07034198400 adetunberuoludotun1973@gmail.com
Lecturer,
Department of Intelligence and Security Studies
Ekiti State University.
