Throwback Times Nigeria is here to reveal reasons behind high number of deaths worldwide during rainy seasons. Even the personal experience of the CEO further cemented this revelation. According to the CEO of TBT revealed to correspondence of Throwback Times Nigeria that he always has same bad experience during the season .
Heavy rainfall and prolonged rainy seasons can create serious public-health and environmental hazards. While rain is essential for agriculture and water supplies, excessive precipitation can become deadly when drainage systems are inadequate, rivers overflow, buildings are vulnerable, and communities lack effective early-warning and emergency-response systems especially in third world countries like Nigeria.
The dangers extend far beyond drowning. Flooding and persistent rainfall can trigger electrocution, building collapses, road crashes, infectious-disease outbreaks, mosquito-borne illnesses, food shortages and other health emergencies.
1. Drowning and Flash Floods
Drowning is one of the most immediate dangers that has to do with intense rainfall and flooding.
Flash floods can develop rapidly, sometimes leaving people with little time to evacuate. Fast-moving water can sweep away pedestrians, motorcyclists and vehicles, while people trapped inside flooded homes may be unable to escape.
Floodwater can also hide open drainage channels, potholes, collapsed roads and other hazards, making it particularly dangerous to walk or drive through.
Important safety rule: Never attempt to drive or walk through rapidly moving floodwater. Water that appears shallow can be deeper or stronger than it looks.
2. Electrocution During Flooding
Flooding can turn ordinary electrical infrastructures into a potentially fatal hazard due to high conduction rate.
Fallen power lines, damaged electrical installations, exposed cables and electrical appliances submerged in water can create dangerous currents. The risk becomes even greater when people enter flooded buildings without first ensuring that electricity has been safely disconnected.
Using generators in or near flooded areas can also be dangerous. Apart from electrical hazards, generators produce carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas that can cause unconsciousness and death when inhaled in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces.
People should stay away from fallen power lines and avoid touching electrical equipment while standing in water.
3. Building Collapse and Landslides
Persistent rainfall can weaken structures and destabilize the ground.
Water can penetrate walls and foundations, while saturated soil loses some of its stability. Poorly constructed buildings, old structures, retaining walls and structures built on unstable or flood-prone land can therefore become particularly vulnerable.
In hilly areas, prolonged or intense rainfall can also trigger landslides and mudslides.
Building collapses may occur suddenly, potentially trapping occupants and rescuers under debris.
4. Road Traffic Accidents Increase During Heavy Rain
Rain creates several conditions that make driving more dangerous.
Wet roads reduce tyre grip, while heavy rainfall can dramatically reduce visibility. Flooding can also conceal potholes, damaged sections of road and open drainage channels.
Vehicles may lose control because of skidding or hydroplaning, particularly when travelling at excessive speed.
Motorcyclists and pedestrians are also vulnerable because heavy rain can make them less visible to other road users.
Drivers should reduce speed, maintain greater following distances, use appropriate lights and avoid roads covered by moving floodwater.
5. Cholera, Diarrhoea and Other Waterborne Diseases
Flooding can contaminate drinking-water sources with sewage, human waste, animal waste and other pollutants.
This creates conditions in which diarrhoeal diseases can spread rapidly. Cholera is particularly concerning because contaminated water and food can facilitate transmission and severe dehydration can become fatal without prompt treatment.
Flooding can also increase exposure to pathogens associated with other gastrointestinal infections.
Safe drinking water, proper sanitation, handwashing and appropriate food hygiene become especially important during and after floods.
6. Mosquitoes and the Risk of Malaria
Heavy rainfall does not directly cause malaria, but it can create conditions that allow mosquitoes to multiply.
Stagnant water collected in discarded containers, blocked drains, tyres, puddles and other locations can provide breeding sites for mosquitoes. In malaria-endemic countries such as Nigeria, this can contribute to increased transmission when suitable mosquito populations and environmental conditions coincide.
Removing stagnant water around homes, using insecticide-treated mosquito nets and reducing mosquito exposure can help lower the risk.
It is also important to note that dengue is mosquito-borne too, but its transmission patterns and dominant mosquito vectors differ from those of malaria.
7. Respiratory and Cardiovascular Problems
Rainy-season health risks are not limited to infectious diseases.
Flooding can increase dampness and mould growth inside homes and buildings, potentially aggravating respiratory problems in individuals who are already managing their health. People displaced by floods may also be exposed to crowded living conditions, smoke and poor ventilation.
Extreme weather events can additionally place physiological stress on vulnerable people, particularly older adults and people with existing heart or lung conditions.
Anyone experiencing severe breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting or other serious symptoms should seek urgent medical attention.
8. Food Shortages and Malnutrition
Heavy rainfall can damage farmlands and destroy crops.
Floods can wash away topsoil, damage storage facilities, kill livestock and disrupt transportation routes. When roads and markets are affected, food may become more difficult or expensive to obtain.
For households already experiencing financial hardship, prolonged disruption can contribute to food insecurity and malnutrition.
Children, pregnant women, older people and people with existing nutritional vulnerabilities can be particularly affected.
9. Contaminated Food After Flooding
Floodwater can contaminate food with sewage, chemicals and microorganisms.
Food that has come into contact with floodwater should generally be treated as unsafe unless it is in a properly sealed, undamaged container that can be safely disinfected according to public-health guidance.
Flooding can also interrupt refrigeration and electricity supplies, increasing the risk of food spoilage.
10. Snakes and Other Animals May Become Displaced
Flooding can force snakes, rodents and other animals out of their normal habitats and into homes, farms and populated areas.
People should therefore exercise caution when clearing flooded rooms, vegetation, debris or drainage channels. Wearing appropriate protective clothing and using tools rather than bare hands can reduce the risk of animal bites and injuries.
11. Mental Health Consequences
The effects of flooding can continue long after the water disappears.
People who lose homes, businesses, crops or loved ones may experience severe stress, anxiety, grief and other psychological difficulties. Repeated flooding can be particularly distressing because affected families may remain worried about another disaster.
Mental-health support should therefore form part of disaster response, alongside food, shelter, healthcare and sanitation.
12. Weakened Immune System
Prolonged rainy periods can create conditions that increase exposure to infections while making it harder for immune systems of vulnerable people to fight off disease invaders. Cold, damp environments, poor sanitation, contaminated water, inadequate nutrition and increased exposure to infectious diseases can place additional stress on the body's defense.
People with weakened immune systems, including young children, sick people, older adults and individuals with certain underlying conditions, may be more likely to develop severe complications from infections. During periods of heavy rainfall and flooding, maintaining good nutrition, hygiene, safe drinking water and timely access to medical care is important.
Conclusion:
We've seen the rationale why more people die during rainy seasons. This is a global experience. Since we've seen the rationales. There's more need for people to take precautionary measures during this period. If you like our pen crafts, kindly bookmark this websites.
