The Weather Condition in My Locality (Nigeria) and How I'm Preparing For a Possible Disaster

Image from Pexels

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When I read the news about the opening of the Lagdo dam in Cameroon in The Punch newspaper, what came into my mind was the catastrophe that might bring.

If it were a movie, I would have tagged it, “Another September to Remember”.

Thanks to @goodybest, I will pour out my heart on what I think about the current weather situation in Nigeria and how it might affect people and the environment.

Nigeria has only two seasons: The wet (rainy) and dry (harmattan) seasons. The country is currently in its wet season. By this, it means that it is now experiencing heavy rainfall which got intense around July.

By August, some places were already flooded and this affected some people's properties and farmlands. Two of my coursemates, for instance, lost all their documents a day before their final examination. This happened during the last week of August.

Tennis court image from Pexels
Though the rain helps our crops to grow, it does limit excessive outdoor activities like hawking, partying, weddings and sporting activities. During the last week of July, I had this traditional marriage ceremony to attend. On arriving at the place, it began to drizzle. Soon, the rain began pouring heavily. This should not be a major issue because, of course: It was the rainy season. But oopsy! The wedding planners forgot to get enough canopies for the event.

Long story short, the bride and groom's seats were drenched. The couple arrived immediately after the rain and had to make do with the wet seats. That was gross, but what else could they do?

The rain has its way of disrupting plans like soaking the tennis court very early. Tennis players like myself or those active in other outdoor sports would have to wait till midday when everywhere gets dried to play. In other cases, training is postponed to the next day, and this is not helpful in any way.

Health-wise, it brings about colds and flu. Asthmatic patients would need to have their inhalers with them at all times.

As of this time last year, the flood had affected over 13 states. People lost their homes and school students in the affected states had to suspend schooling until everything sizzled down.

The situation is a bit mild this year but the level of havoc the opened dam might cause cannot be fathomed yet. Hopefully, things might just get better in the coming weeks. However, I am overly ready.

• The gutters around my place have been cleaned out so there may be no stagnant water which encourages the breeding of gigantic female anopheles mosquitoes.
• My umbrella is still intact.
• I don't have any major events soon so I wouldn't have to worry about wet seats or shoes.

The weather might bring discomfort, but stay strong. Stay proactive too!

I invite emily02, @megareigns, @yhudy and @usoro01 to join the contest