With less than 90 days into the new year 2020, the attention of everyone in the world has been held spellbound by the rampaging COVID-19 pandemic. No nation, business, personality, class or religion is spared as every facet of our lives have been affected and forced into self-imposed hibernation.
But those who live in Lagos, this single-focused distraction should not cause all to take away attention from the perennial threat that has become an ever-present risk to households and businesses. We are talking about floods!
The Lagos State Government, on Tuesday, March 10, 2020, called residents’ attention to an imminent 240-270 days of rainfall, out of 366 days of the year. As many are familiar with, when it rains heavily or steadily in Lagos, the rampaging floods come bearing its fangs.
The prediction which was also collaborated by Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), estimated that Ikeja Division would receive about 1,526 millimeters of rainfall, while Badagry Division will record about 1,759 millimeters. Lagos Island Division will get 1,714 millimeters, while Ikorodu Division gets 1,690 millimeters and Epe Division will be splashed with 1,730 millimeters of rains.
According to Hashizume Masahero’s “precipitation and flood hazards: health effects, risks, and impacts”, floods are the most frequent natural disasters affecting over 2.8 billion people in the world and had caused over 200,000 deaths over the past three decades. The United Nations Office for disaster risk reduction, Geneva also stated that between 1995 and 2015, the lives of 2.3 billion people were affected, making floods accountable for 47% of all weather-related disasters globally.
Beyond Lagos, Nigeria, as a country, is prone to flooding almost every year. The 2012 flood was categorically named by the World Health Organization as the worst flood to have hit the country in the past fifty years. The flood disaster started in early July 2012, killed 363 people and displaced over 2.1 million people as of November 2012. According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), 30 of Nigeria’s 36 states were affected. In 2018, the country declared a ‘national disaster’ following severe floods that left at least 100 people dead in several states across the country. In 2019, The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency had reported that more than 100 local government areas in 33 states were affected by the flood. As of August 30 2018, the flood had affected around 21,000 households.
The aftermath of flood disasters is a chaotic and heart-breaking experience. Its devastating effects leave many permanently disabled emotionally, financially and psychologically. It destroys properties, businesses, equipment, displaces millions and sometimes brings death. Even waterborne diseases also accompany this natural disaster. It brings untold hardship on children, orphaned by the rage of floods, some parents also lose their beloved children—flood wrecks humanity.
The severity of past occurrences is enough justification for urgent calls to prepare ahead. Even though the Government has come up with several intervention strategies, it is never enough to provide succour to flood victims. What preparations have you made? When we say preparations, we are referring to your children, home, properties, business, loved ones? Have you put in place smart financial management and risk mitigation measures to cushion any financial loss?
Beyond having an ultimate flood survival kit; preparing an emergency kit, preparing a household flood prevention or relocation plan, is the question of having an insurance plan in place. Insurance is your surest bet for a disaster you can not precisely predict its outcome. It assures financial security and peace of mind, knowing that should any loss occurs, there is a solid backup plan. At Leadway Assurance, we proffer several innovative products that would help you prepare against the destructive nature of rainfall and the consequential flooding.
One of these products is our Householder Insurance cover. With a minimum premium of N10,000 and up to N5 million in benefits, this policy will cover your building and household content against flood, fire, theft or break-in, storm, accidental damage, and other specified perils. Our Householder Insurance cover ensures that you and yours would have peace of mind, come what may. Amazing right? Click here to get quote now.