The Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on Tuesday issued an alert to residents in flood-prone areas of the state, urging them to begin immediate preparations for anticipated heavy rainfall and possible flooding.

The warning was contained in a statement signed by the agency’s Administrative Secretary, Ojuolape Busari, and released in Ibadan, the state capital.

According to Busari, reports from the state’s Flood Early Warning System indicate that communities located to the east and northeast of Ibadan city centre are likely to experience the heaviest rainfall.

She further noted that areas expected to record moderate to heavy downpours, as determined by the flood monitoring system and confirmed by Google Maps, include a large portion of the Ibadan metropolis, particularly the eastern and central districts.

Busari assured residents that the agency, in collaboration with other relevant government bodies, voluntary organisations, and civil society groups, is fully prepared to intervene and provide relief to individuals and communities that may be impacted.

She appealed to the public to take the alert seriously and commence preventive measures without delay, warning that, “Discretion is the better part of valour.”