By Stephen Ubanna
Even when the rainy season had not finally peaked, Nigerians and people from other parts of the world, particular, Europe, are crying out now for help due to the heavy flood that have taken over most of their cities and villages, as houses, shops and vehicles are swept off the roads.
In his 2021, Prophetic Message, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, in the West African country of Nigeria had said that ‘’God will deal with nations on an individual basis’’. He may have alluded to the flood being experienced in different parts of the world including some parts of Nigeria.
Many believe that the impending flood which he had alerted Nigerians and people all over the world that would happen in 2020, had finally manifested, barely one year after the prediction, forcing people from the poor and rich countries to cry to God for his Divine intervention. Recall that the Cleric had particularly urged Nigerians, ‘’to clear their gutters and pray to God to avert the disaster’’ because the country do not have the resources to contain the flood if happens like the developed economies of Germany Belgium, United Kingdom, United States, US, Japan or China.
Signs of the intensity of the flood this year had shown in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands and some other countries in Europe late June, 2021. The flood appears to have been made worse between Wednesday July 14, 2021 and Friday July 16, 2021 in the European country of Germany ,,where Etiologists had said that the warnings to the people about the impending flood disaster came too late for the various European countries Authorities to have prepared in advance to address it squarely. This may have raised questions about the country’s flood alert system.
The residents of the Berlin City, Capital of Germany, had said that before the recent rolling waters tore through the Germany villages, the European Weather Agency, had’’ issued an extreme flood ’’,warning after detailed models showed storms that had threatened to send rivers surging to levels that a German Meteorologist had said had not been witnessed in the country over the last 1000 years.
There have been reports making the rounds in the Social Media, with’’ startling and horrifying pictures of the houses, shops and streets swept away’’ to show the level of the flood disaster in most of the Cities and villages in the European country that were affected. At the last count, more than 125 people were said to have been drowned due to the flood and 1,300 people still missing, as helicopter rescue Crews plucked marooned residents from villages taken over by the flood between Wednesday, July 14, 2021 and Friday, July 15, 2021.
Reports had it that in several of the German villages, worst hit by the flood disaster, victims and the Local Authority Officials were caught unprepared for it ‘’as the placid brooks and streams turned into torrents that swept away cars, houses and bridges and everything else in their paths’’
. The flood in the German Cities and villages, according to informed sources was so pathetic that residents in Berlin, the country’s Capital City noted that ,’’it went so fast’’, after the Ahr river had over swelled its banks, ripping apart tidy wood framed houses and sending vehicles bobbing like bath toys.
Metrioilogists, who could not hide their feelings had said that the extreme downpours that had occurred in Germany, particular, is one of the most ‘’ visible signs that the Climate changing as a result of the global warming which had caused the greenhouse effect gas emissions was responsible for the flood.
Moreso, studies, have shown that the floods which are occurring more frequently in the country in the recent time was as a result of ’’a warmer atmosphere which could hold more moisture at a go, thus generating more and more powerful rainfall that could cause flood. The scientists had had said that the recent flood in Europe was so frightening an example of extreme weather event , as some of the cities and villages were forced to get a month rain in one day.
Environmental analysts had said that in an era of climate change,’’ extreme weather events are common’’ . The fallout was the resultant heavy storms and floods. Donald. J. Wuebbles, a Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, in the North American University of Illinois had, made it clear to those that cares to listen that‘’major weather condition these days is being affected by the changes in climate’’ Meaning that the storm that cause the flood in Europe was caused by the changes in Climate.
The United Nation, UN’,s backed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, may have sent jitters into the spines of people in Europe and other parts of the world including Africa and the Caribbean countries when it said that there would still be an increase in extreme downpours in the months ahead this year as the world warms. The UN backed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change were emphatic that the frequency of these ‘’rain events would increase phenomenally as the temperatures continue to rise’’.
While people of the European countries of Germany, Belgium, Swizerland and Netherlands, are currently living in fear due to the heavy flood that have swept houses, shops and roads in most of their major cities and village, and the resultant loss of lives, Nigeria may be one of the African country countries that would be hit by the flood this year with the increased frequency of the heavy rainfall in the months ahead. It was a bad Friday, July 15, 2021, in Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve centre, as several vehicles were submerged underwater in parks at the popular Marina axis in the city, which is a coastal home to over 20 million people.
The flood which was said to be a sign of the worse days ahead had occurred despite effors by the Babajide Sanwo-Oku, led All Progressive Congress, APC, Lagos state government to construct drainages and caution the people against dumping refuse in such drainages, it is obvious that flooding is certain in the city. Sanwo-Olu, the governor, may have gladdened the heart of the people when he said that the government has stepped up cleaning of the canals blocked by human effuse to ease of the flow of water.
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