The Federal Government has placed 915 communities across 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on critical flood alert, warning residents to take immediate precautions and prepare for possible evacuation.
The warning, issued through the National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre, covers the period from August 27 to September 9, 2026. The affected communities have been classified as requiring immediate monitoring, preparedness and protective action.
The list
The states listed under the critical-risk category are Kogi, Benue, Rivers, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo.
Major cities and communities identified include Lokoja, Makurdi, Port Harcourt, Benin City, Asaba, Calabar, Yenagoa, Uyo, Aba, Onitsha, Enugu, Owerri, Lagos, Abeokuta, Akure, Osogbo and Ibadan.
Beyond the critical-risk locations, the government classified another 429 communities across seven states as high risk, while 656 communities in 13 states were placed under moderate-risk watch.
According to the advisory, the projected flood threat is being driven by a combination of high soil moisture, rainfall, rapid surface runoff, drainage surcharge and rising river levels.
The government urged residents in critical-risk areas to maintain heightened vigilance, confirm evacuation routes and make preparations to protect vulnerable members of their households and essential property.
It also advised residents to avoid settlements, parking, trading and storage activities within floodplains, wetlands, riverbanks and low-lying drainage corridors.
State emergency management agencies, environmental officers and community flood focal persons were directed to intensify surveillance around rivers, streams, culverts, bridges, drainage channels, estuaries, reservoirs and erosion-prone areas.
Communities in Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Adamawa, Taraba and Kebbi, which were placed in the high-risk category, were advised to step up drainage clearance and closely monitor culverts and watercourses.
The FCT and communities in Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Yobe, Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kano and Kaduna were placed under moderate-risk watch. However, the government cautioned that prolonged or consecutive rainfall could rapidly worsen the situation in areas currently classified as moderate risk.
Residents were further advised to obey evacuation directives from relevant authorities, keep children away from floodwater and avoid walking or driving through moving water.
Where flooding is imminent, residents were advised to disconnect electricity supplies and secure medicines, important documents, food and potable water.
The government stressed that the forecast should be considered alongside real-time observations, drainage conditions, river levels and directives from emergency authorities, adding that information from state governments and community focal persons would be used to continually update the national flood-risk database.
