Lagos expect hurricane Sandy in 14 days –Govt

The Lagos State Government on Tuesday warned residents of the state to prepare for the ripple effect of Hurricane Sandy as the government was projecting that within seven to 14 days, the state would experience the ripple effect of the hurricane in its coast lines.

The Commissioner for Waterfront Development and Infrastructure, Mr. Adesegun Oniru, said that the government based its projection on, "experience, records and study of past happenings" and had started taking precautionary measures.

"This warning is not to cause panic in Lagos, but to place us all on alert that if we notice anything unusual in our coast lines, we should not go near the waters but rather call government attention, Oniru noted.

The commissioner said that the storm has hit the Caribbean and is now in USA and Lagos is to get a ripple effect, adding that government was planning to protect Kuramo, Oniru, Majidun, Alpha beach and other areas affected by the last ocean surge in the state.

"This wind started in Africa, went west gathering more wind and later turning to hurricane. We expect a splash back effect. It could be on our coast lines and shore lines, it could be more than that. And it may not happen at all. Everybody must be vigilant. Let us be careful around our oceans and lagoons" he asserted.

The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on the Environment, Dr. Taofeek Folami, urged the residents of the state to avoid flooding effect of the storm by refraining from dumping their refuse into drainage channels.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, urged  residents not to  panic as the early warning alerts is to prepare them for such occurrence.

Hurricane Sandy is a 2012 late-season violent tropical storm that has affected Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the eastern seaboard of the United States of America.


IMOH, Patrick E.
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