English: The rainy season in Nigeria was especially harsh in 2022, with heavy rains producing deadly, destructive floods across numerous states. According to ReliefWeb, between the time rains began in July and October 24, more than three million people have been affected in 34 states in the worst flooding the country has seen in over a decade. At least 603 people have died and over 2,400 have been injured, while 1.4 million people have been displaced due to the floods. In addition, at least 300,000 houses have been destroyed or damaged and 569,251 hectares of farmland have been damaged.

Today’s Image of The Day compares two false-color images of the confluence of the Benue and Niger Rivers. The upper image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite on October 30, 2022, and shows extreme and widespread flooding. The lower image was acquired by Aqua’s MODIS instrument on October 24, 2021, during a more normal rainy season. A roll-over comparison of the two images can be viewed through the NASA Worldview app by clicking here

The images use a combination of infrared and visible light to make it easier to distinguish between water (blue) and land (green). Toward the top of the most recent image, floodwater had inundated numerous communities along the banks of both rivers (the Benue River is to the east). Near their confluence, floodwater inundated Lokoja, the capital city of the state of Kogi. Flooding continued to the south along the Niger River, including a noticeably widespread area spanning southern Kogi and the northern part of Anambra state.