LAGOS – Lagos State government on Wednesday called for calm from residents over the flash flood, which the rainfall on Wednesday caused in the state.

In a statement signed by the state Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wa­hab, he explained that Lagos experienced about nine hours of non-stop rainfall Wednes­day.

He added that this is cou­pled with heavy rainfall, which the state has been expe­riencing on a daily basis since last week resulting in the level rise of the Lagos lagoon.

Wahab explained that the flash floods, which inundated areas like Iyana Oworo link­ing the Third Mainland and several other areas will recede once the rains abate and the level of the lagoon goes down.

The commissioner added that the state also deployed officials of the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang to major black spots including Iyana Oworo, which had been cleared of all blockages.

He urged residents living in low-lying areas to relo­cate immediately to higher grounds at this period to safe­guard lives and properties.

He also urged residents to desist from wading through floods with their vehicles as it takes only a feet of flowing water with high tide to sweep away a vehicle irrespective of the number of occupants.

The commissioner also urged all residents to avail themselves of daily weather reports as issued by the state Ministry of the Environ­ment and Water Resources as it serves as a guide to daily itinerary.

He reminded that Lagos is a coastal city with almost one third of its landmass under water, as such necessitating a genuine reason for every res­ident to be more responsive to the state of the environment.

Wahab reiterated that the state government on its part has embarked upon a year­long maintenance and clean­ing of all its secondary and primary collectors to be able to contain runoffs that may come from heavy rainfalls.

He added that residents on their parts were expected to regularly clean and maintain the tertiary drains in front of their tenements and refrain from dumping refuse in the drains for the collective good of everyone.