By Arret Jatta
The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has warned that several flood-prone communities across the country remain at risk of flooding this rainy season despite forecasts indicating rainfall levels will be slightly below normal to normal.
Speaking to The Standard, Momodou BK Ceesay, Interim Director of Operations at the NDMA, said the agency’s preparations are guided by the July-August-September (JAS) seasonal forecast issued by the Department of Water Resources.
“The forecast indicates that we are expecting rainfall slightly below normal to normal. However, it also highlights the likelihood of flooding in areas that are already identified as flood-risk zones,” Ceesay said .
He explained that the NDMA has mapped vulnerable communities across all regions and identified several disaster hotspots based on the frequency and impact of previous flooding incidents.
Among the areas identified are Brikama Jamisa and Jambanjelly in the West Coast Region, Farafenni and Mballa-Marga in the North Bank Region, Bansang in the Central River Region, Basse and Kaba Kama in the Upper River Region, and Jarra Soma in the Lower River Region.
In the Kanifing Municipality, Ceesay said communities along the Kotu Stream corridor, including Bundung, London Corner and Dippa Kunda, remain vulnerable. He added that Talinding, Fajikunda and Farato Corner are also exposed to flash floods.To strengthen preparedness, the NDMA is training 100 volunteers nationwide to conduct rapid assessments following disaster events. The agency has also developed a digital assessment tool to collect real-time disaster data.
Ceesay said lessons learned from previous floods have prompted greater emphasis on community-led disaster risk reduction, public sensitisation and capacity building. He noted that awareness campaigns have focused on discouraging waste dumping in drainage systems, settlement along waterways and unsafe construction practices.
