FLOOD HAVOC IN EASTERN AFRICA

 

Floods are among the most powerful forces on earth and human societies worldwide have lived and died with floods from the very beginning, spawning a prominent role for floods within legends, religions, and history.

 

In the recent past (late part of 2009 and early part of 2010) in Eastern Africa and indeed the whole of Africa severe floods triggered by heavy Rainfalls have caused havoc for hundreds of thousands of people. In some places, the floods are reported to be the worst in decades, affecting more than one million people across the region.

 

The East African region customarily has two rainy seasons each year from around March to May and October to December. But experts say climate change is making rainfall patterns increasingly unreliable and they (heavy rains) come at odd times.

 

Typically, the flooding comes after long periods of drought. A combination of long dry periods followed by torrential rains is therefore causing havoc.

 

The Eastern African countries that have been affected by flooding since 2007 are Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Kenya. In central Africa, Chad and Central African Republic have also experienced damaging floods, although on a lesser scale.

 

Uganda and Kenya have borne the greatest brunt, with around 300,000 people affected in Uganda and more than 200,000 in Kenya.

 

Across the region, physical damage and casualties have been experienced whenever floods occur. Physical damage includes damages to bridges, homes, vehicles, buildings, sewer systems etc. Roadways and Canals have also been damaged or swept away.

Casualties have included destruction and loss of food stocks, crops and livestock; leading to food shortages and damaging people’s ability to make a living. Water supplies have been cut; resulting in shortage of clean drinking water which has raises the occurrence of waterborne diseases.

 

The effects of flooding are expected to be exacerbated because so much greenery has disappeared in the drought. Many forest covers have also been cleared to make way to farmlands and other human activities.

 

While we cannot prevent these climatic shocks, we can certainly mitigate their disastrous effects through forward planning and putting the right preventative measures in place.

 

FLOOD DEFINED

 

A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land, not normally covered by water. Flooding may result from the volume of water within a body of water, such as a river or a lake, which overflows or breaks the levees, with the result that some of the water escapes.

 

 

While the size of the lake or other body of water will vary with seasonal changes in precipitation, it is not a significant flood unless such escape of water endangers land areas used by man like a village, a city or other inhabited area.

 

Floods are also caused by rivers, when the water flow exceeds the capacity of the river channel, particularly at bends or meanders.

 

Dams built to generate electric power have also contributed to the flooding, particularly when they over flow during the rainy seasons or for other reasons break their embankments and the water flows out, causing flooding down stream.

 

 

Catastrophic floods are usually caused by a significant and unexpected event e.g. dam breakage or as a result of another natural hazard such as Earthquake or volcanic eruption, severe sea storms (tsunami or hurricane), mainly along the coastal areas. caused

 

FLOOD INSURANCE

 

Flood Insurance is the best way to protect the individual or organization from devastating financial losses caused by floods.

Flood Risk is usually insured as a special peril under the Fire Policy. The term special perils refers to those risks normally excluded from the ordinary or standard  fire policy, but which insurers are prepared to cover on certain conditions and at an additional premiums.

 

The Standard Fire Policy provides indemnity against the material loss to the property caused by Fire, Lightning, and limited explosion of boilers used for domestic purposes only.  

 

Flood is covered under an omnibus item referred to as Perils of Nature and the list includes Storm & Tempest, flood, and Hail amongst others.

 

The cover for flood is available to domestic homeowners, renters, and commercial property owners and renters. Costs vary depending on how much Insurance is purchased, what is covered, and the property’s flood risks.

 

The policy provides financial compensation for buildings and contents damaged by flood water.

 

IMPACT OF FLOODS ON  INSURANCE

 

Just a few inches of water from a flood can cause tens of thousands of Dollars in damage. To appreciate fully the impact of flood damage to Insured property, recently in Kenya, hours of torrential rainfalls in Northern parts caused the Ewaso Nyiro River to burst its bank. The resultant flood submerged lodges and camps in Samburu National Park, a prime tourist destination. The floods also destroyed an important elephant research canter.

The floods affected more than six lodges, and the damage has been estimated at US$.6,700,000. This figure could even be higher once the full impact of the damage is assessed.

 

Overnight of 9^th and 10^th January in Nairobi,  Kenya, the River Kigwa burst its bank due to intense rainfall and caused damage to Safari Park Hotel. The amount that the Insurers are expected to pay for the damage is over US$. 1,300,000

 

Heavy rains that occurred in Kenya in the Rift Valley resulted in damage to the newly constructed Narok - Mai Mahiu Road. The resultant flood damaged the Road, culverts, gabions and side drains, resulting in a loss estimated at over US$. 2,000,000.

  

In Mozambique, on the 22^nd February, 2007, Cyclone Favio caused a flood which lead to material damage to property. Insurers settled claims of US$. 420,000.

 

In Tanzania, on 8^th January, 2010, excessive rains caused damage to Road works, on the Ndundu/Somanga Road, in the Coastal Region. The Insurers are likely to pay US$. 500,000 for the damages caused

 

Another case of  flood  that had a serious impact on the Insurance Industry were the Indian Monsoon Floods of July 2005, where the Insurance Industry settled losses of over  US$. 185,000,000.

 

From the foregoing, flooding is a serious cause of property damage and the risk is of major concern to the Insurance Industry. Consequently the Industry players should take it seriously  and be rated  appropriately.

 

FLOOD CONTROL

 

In many countries across the world, rivers prone to floods are carefully managed. Defences such as levees, dikes, and reservoirs are used to prevent rivers from bursting their banks. When these defences fail, emergency measures such as sand bags, or portable inflatable tubes are used. Along the coastal areas, seawalls, and barrier Islands have been used.

 

 

PREVENTING/MINIMIZING FLOOD WATER DAMAGE

 

There are several things one can do, to minimize the risk of flood damage, depending on the flood hazard of the area under consideration.

 

1. The first thing to do is to know the flood risk exposure of the area in question. This  information is important as it will  help the occupant determine how much water is likely to come in case of a flood.

 

2. Buy a flood insurance policy (usually Fire and Special Perils Policy) - This should be purchased before flooding occurs.

 

3. Main electric Switch box and Electric outlets and switches: These  should be located above potential flood waters.  The main electric panel board (electric switches, circuit breakers, light sockets, baseboard heaters and other outlets) should be at least 30cms above the projected flood elevation. All electrical works should be done by a licensed electrician.

 

4. The electric service lines (at the point of entry into the house) should also be elevated at least 30cms above the projected flood elevation. In areas that could get wet, connect all receptacles to a ground fault interrupter (GFI) circuit to avoid the risk of shock or electrocution.

 

5. The washers and Dryers should be located above potential flood waters. The washer and the dryer can be elevated on masonry or pressure- treated lumber at least 30cms above the projected floor elevation. Other options are moving the washer and dryer to a higher floor, or building a floodwall around the appliances.

 

6. The furnace and the water heater should be located above potential flood water level. The furnace and the water heaters can be placed on masonry blocks or concrete at least 30cms above the projected flood elevation moved to inside a floodwall or moved to a higher floor.

 

Furnaces that operate horizontally can be suspended from ceiling joists if the joists are strong enough to hold the weight.

 

7. Outside air conditioning compressors, heat pump or package units can be placed on a base of masonry, concrete or pressure treated lumber.

 

8. The fuel tankers should be anchored securely. If not done properly, a fuel tank can tip over or float in a flood, causing fuel to spill or catch fire.

 

9. The sewer system should have a backflow valve. If flood waters enter the sewer system, sewage can back up and enter the house. To prevent this, the house owner should install an interior or exterior backflow valve.

 

Other options for avoiding flood damage depending on one’s needs and financial resource include building drainage systems around the property, sealing openings such as low windows, building levees, constructing exterior floodwalls around basement doors and windows, improving exterior walls, elevating buildings above projected flood levels, and relocating buildings away from the flood –plains.

CLEAN UP SAFETY

 

After the flood has subsided, the next course of action is to clean up and assess the damage.

 

Clean up activities following floods often pose hazards to workers and volunteers in the effort. Potential dangers include water polluted by mixing with and causing overflows from foul sewers, electrical hazards, carbon monoxide exposure, musco-skeletal hazards, heat or cold stress, motor vehicle related dangers, fire, drowning, and exposure to hazardous materials.

 

Because flooded disaster sites are unstable, clean-up workers might encounter sharp jagged debris, biological hazards in flood water, exposed to electrical lines, blood or other body fluids, and animal and human remains.

 

The flood disaster workers should therefore be very well equipped with hard hats, goggles, heavy work gloves, life jackets, and watertight boots with steel toes and insoles.

 

THE END