Flooding has displaced over a thousand people in Cross River State, as heavy rains since 18 September 2017 have led to homes and farmland being inundated with water. The communities of Bago, Unu, Bagabo, Bakie, Bufua, and Kakwe-Beebo are reported to have been worst hit, by flooding that has washed away houses, crops, and bridges and contaminated clean drinking water sources.
Bridge destroyed by flooding at Bebuo Bomaji in Cross Rivers State, Nigeria. The Guardian Nigeria.
West Africa has a distinct two season climatic cycle, with a cool dry
season during the northern winter when prevalent winds blow from the
Sahara to the northeast, and a warm rainy season during the northern
summer when prevalent winds blow from the Atlantic Ocean to the
southwest. These warm winds from the Atlantic are laden with moisture,
which can be lost rapidly when the air encounters cooler conditions,
such as when it is pushed up to higher altitudes by the Jos Plateau of central Nigeria and Shebshi Mountains on the border with Cameroon.
Rainfall and prevalent winds during the West African dry and rainy seasons. Encyclopedia Britanica.
Cross Rivers has a Tropical Climate with distinct dry and rainy seasons. The rainy season lasts from May to October, with September typically being the wettest month. Like other areas of West Africa, Nigeria has suffered a series of flooding and related incidents this rainy season, driven by high temperatures over the Atlantic Ocean.
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