In less than a week, the West African nation was overwhelmed by some of the worst weather events they’ve experienced in decades. So far, floods in Nigeria have claimed more than 600 lives and displaced more than 1.3 million people. Meanwhile, Australia is also dealing with unprecedented, climate change-driven flooding across three states.
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Devastating floods in Nigeria triggered by hefty rains and climate change have killed at least 600 people, destroyed more than 200,000 homes, and submerged large swathes of farmland. So far, 1.3 million people have been displaced.
The flooding, expected to continue until the end of November, has been described as some of the worst the West African nation has seen in over a decade. The scale of destruction is likely a combination of human-induced climate change and poor climate resilience infrastructure.
As it is common during such events, experts warned of the potential spreading of disease through the contaminated water, calling on authorities to evacuate high-risk areas and distribute food, water, and other supplies to those affected.
Similarly, flood-hit Pakistan is also dealing with a rapidly-spreading outbreak of malaria. Water-borne diseases here have claimed more than 300 lives since late August, when the Asian nation was hit by the worst flooding it had seen in decades. More than 1,700 people have been killed while about 33 million people have been displaced.
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Despite causing far less damage, Australia was also hit by severe flooding over the weekend, as the country endures a third consecutive La Niña weather event. La Niña, an oceanic and atmospheric phenomenon that occurs in the Pacific Ocean, is associated with strong winds and much heavier downpours than usual.
Heavy rains have affected the state of Victoria, southern New South Wales, and northern regions of Tasmania, forcing authorities to to issue evacuation orders. In just 24 hours, rainfall in these areas has exceeded the October average by a factor of four. Widespread flooding has submerged at least 500 homes and left more than 3,000 without electricity.
On Sunday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese toured flood-hit parts of Victoria and announced one-off flood payments of $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per child.
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