Throughout 2022, floods affected most of Africa, killing over 2,100 people. The worst affected country was Nigeria, with over 610 deaths.

2022 Africa floods
A map of Africa. Affected countries are marked in red
DateJanuary - December 2022
LocationAngola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
CauseHeavy rains, Tropical cyclones
Deaths2,177

Impact

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Angola

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In December, floods in Angola have killed two people, destroyed five homes, and damaged 238 others.[1]

Benin

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Twenty-seven municipalities in Benin were affected by flooding, leading to 41 fatalities and over 670 houses destroyed.[2]

Cameroon

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As of September 20, as many as 37,439 people from 6,662 families were affected by floods in northern Cameroon. At least 2 people have died and around 95 injured. As many as 9,413 homes and 88 schools had been damaged or destroyed. Around 2,394 hectares of crops were also damaged, and 3,019 heads of cattle were lost.[3]

Central African Republic

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In the Central African Republic, flooding had affected 85,300 people, killed 11, destroyed more than 2,600 houses and 18,500 hectares of crops, damaged numerous other infrastructures and displaced more than 6,000 people in 176 towns and villages across 12 of the country's 17 prefectures.[4]

Chad

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In August, floods have affected 17,000 people in Chad, resulting in the destruction of 1,312 homes. At least 22 people have died while 229 others were injured.[5]

Democratic Republic of the Congo

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From late February to March, at least 16 people, including four children died in Bukavu due to the flooding.[6][7] Floods in April killed 20 people,[8] while a further 21 deaths were reported in May.[9]

From 12 to 14 December 2022, heavy rains left roads, infrastructure and many neighborhoods underwater or destroyed in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo's capital.[10] Floods there killed 169 people.[11]

On December 31, a landslide occurred in South Kivu, killing eight people.[12]

Ethiopia

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About 60,000 people were affected by floods, which have damaged some infrastructure.[13]

Gabon

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A flood-related landslide killed seven people near Libreville, Gabon.[14]

Ghana

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Two days of heavy rainfall had left many homes and a police station submerged in floodwater in eastern Ghana.[15]

Ivory Coast

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In June 2022, the Ivory Coast experienced its deadliest flooding in the country's history. At least 15 people died, including six by landslides and 114 were injured in Abidjan. About 1,900 houses were damaged and 11,900 people were affected.[16]

Kenya

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Flash floods had displaced hundreds of families following heavy downpour that was witnessed in Western Kenya.[17]

Madagascar

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On 18 January, floods hit Madagascar's capital Antananarivo, killing 10 people.[18]

From late January 20 to February, Cyclone Batsirai and Tropical Storm Ana destroyed thousands of homes, and caused 179 deaths in Madagascar.[19][20] Cyclone Gombe caused a further two deaths.[21]

Malawi

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In January, six houses collapsed and 126 others were damaged in flooding in Malawi.[22]

Tropical Storm Ana caused 37 deaths in the country,[23] while Cyclone Gombe in March caused a further seven deaths.[24]

Mali

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In Mopti, at least 550 houses were damaged by flood water, which submerged villages up to 6.72 m (22.0 ft) high.[25]

Mozambique

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Tropical Storm Ana lead to 20 deaths in Mozambique.[26] In March, Cyclone Gombe caused a further 63 deaths and destroyed thousands of homes.[27]

Namibia

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Floods killed two children and an additional five people in a related house fire in December in Windhoek, Namibia.[28]

Nigeria

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At least 33 of the 36 states of Nigeria were affected by floods.[29] Floods have killed at least 612 people.[30][31] The floods have also caused a Cholera outbreak, killing a further 64 people.[31]

Niger

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At least 168 people have died due to flooding in Niger since August.[32] Over 227,000 people were affected.[33]

Rwanda

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Since January 1, severe storms began across Rwanda. As of January 27, 15 people had been killed and 37 people were injured. Seven of those fatalities and 26 of the injuries were from lightning strikes.[34]

Senegal

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At least three people in Dakar killed as a result of the floods.[35]

Sierra Leone

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Eight deaths were reported in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone due to flooding and landslides.[36]

South Africa

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Estimated rainfall in southern Africa between 7 – 13 April 2022.

Floods affected Eastern Cape in January, killing fourteen people, including a police officer who was trying to rescue people.[37]

In April, floods have killed at least 435 people, mostly in KwaZulu-Natal.[38] Nearly $1.6 billion USD had been caused.[39] Over 6,000 homes, mostly of poor construction, were damaged or destroyed by floods.[40]

On December 3, floods affected a church in Johannesburg. Nine people were found dead and eight others were still missing.[41]

Sudan

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Flooding since August killed 134 people.[42] Over 47,000 houses were damaged by flood water.[43]

Tanzania

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Floods in Tanzania killed five people in early May.[44]

The Gambia

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Floods in The Gambia killed at least 11 people.[35]

Uganda

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Floods in January killed 9 people in the Kisoro District.[45] In August, floods in the Eastern Region killed a further 30 people.[46]

References

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  1. ^ Richard Davies. "Angola – Floods Leave 2 Dead, Hundreds of Homes Damaged".
  2. ^ Davies, Richard. "Benin – Over 40 Dead, 1,300 Households Displaced After Weeks of Flooding". floodlist. Archived from the original on 8 Dec 2022.
  3. ^ Richard Davies. "Cameroon – Floods Affect Almost 40,000 in Far North Region".
  4. ^ Richard Davies. "Central African Republic – Floods in 12 Prefectures Leave Thousands Displaced, 11 Dead".
  5. ^ Richard Davies. "Chad – Weeks of Rain and Floods Leave 22 Dead, Hundreds of Homes Destroyed".
  6. ^ "Ten killed in Bukavu floods". The New Humanitarian. 2000-05-31. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  7. ^ "Four children among six dead in DR Congo deluge". sharjah24. 22 February 2022.
  8. ^ Richard Davies. "DR Congo and Rwanda – 20 Killed in Floods and Landslides".
  9. ^ Richard Davies. "Democratic Republic of the Congo – More Deadly Floods and Landslides in Eastern Provinces".
  10. ^ "DR Congo floods leave more than 120 dead in Kinshasa". BBC News. 14 December 2022.
  11. ^ Dorian Geiger (17 December 2022). "At least 169 dead after devastating floods in DR Congo's Kinshasa". Al Jazeera.
  12. ^ "Eastern DRC: Landslide leaves 8 people dead". TRT World. 31 December 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Ethiopia - Situation Report, 19 Sep 2022". ReliefWeb. 19 September 2022.
  14. ^ Richard Davies. "Gabon – 7 Killed in Libreville Landslide After Heavy Rainfall".
  15. ^ "Floods wreak havoc; Kyebi court, police station, homes submerged". 2 October 2022.
  16. ^ Richard Davies (3 October 2023). "Cote d'Ivoire: Floods - Jun 2022".
  17. ^ Joe, Ojwang (8 September 2022). "Kenya: Flash Floods Displace Kisumu Families Following Heavy Rains". Capital Fm.
  18. ^ "10 killed by floods in Madagascar". Africanews. 18 January 2022. Archived from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  19. ^ "Southern Africa: Cyclone Season Flash Update No. 2 (4 February 2022)". ReliefWeb. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 4 February 2022. Archived from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  20. ^ "Southern Africa: Cyclone Season Flash Update No. 6 (Tropical Cyclone Batsirai) (13 February 2022) - Madagascar". ReliefWeb. 2022-02-15. Archived from the original on 2022-02-15. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  21. ^ "Deux décès et 935 sinistrés à Madagascar : Mozambique : le cyclone Gombe fait au moins huit morts" [Two deaths and 935 victims in Madagascar: Mozambique: Cyclone Gombe kills at least eight]. Imaz Press Réunion : l'actualité de la Réunion en photos (in French). 12 March 2022. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  22. ^ Richard Davies. "Malawi – Houses Destroyed After Flash Floods in Blantyre".
  23. ^ "Malawi, Africa | Tropical Storm Ana 2022 - Emergency Appeal n° MDRMW015 - Malawi". ReliefWeb. 3 February 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-02-06. Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  24. ^ Masina, Lameck (14 March 2022). "Cyclone Gombe Kills 7, Damages Houses and Roads in Malawi". VOA. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  25. ^ Richard Davies. "Mali – Hundreds of Homes Destroyed by Floods in Mopti Region".
  26. ^ "Dozens killed in Tropical Storm Ana as southern Africa braces for more wild weather". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 28 January 2022. Archived from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  27. ^ "Mozambique: Tropical Cyclone Gombe Flash Update No.6 (As of 25 March 2022)" (PDF). ReliefWeb. UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  28. ^ Richard Davies (15 December 2022). "Namibia – Floods in Windhoek After 3 Months' Worth of Rain in 24 Hours".
  29. ^ Matthew Ogune Abuja (5 September 2022). "Flood kills 372 Nigerians in eight months, 508,000 persons affected – NEMA DG says".
  30. ^ "Buhari Blames Climate Change As Flood Kills 612, Affects 3.2m Nigerians". Daily Trust. 26 October 2022.
  31. ^ a b Richard Davies. "Nigeria – 300 Dead, 100,000 Displaced as Government Warns of Worsening Floods".
  32. ^ Richard Davies. "Niger – 168 Dead, 227,000 Affected as Flooding Continues".
  33. ^ "Worsening Niger floods kill 75". Al Arabiya. 30 August 2022.
  34. ^ "Rwanda - Severe weather (Rwanda Meteorology Agency, media)". Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  35. ^ a b Richard Davies. "Senegal – Floods in Dakar Leave 3 Dead".
  36. ^ "Sierra Leone landslide, floods kill eight". 30 August 2022.
  37. ^ "Eastern Cape officials still counting losses after floods kill 14 and displace hundreds". The Daily Maverick. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  38. ^ "Death toll from South African floods revised down to 435". Reuters. 21 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  39. ^ Mboto, Sibusiso. "Costs related to KZN floods stands at R17 billion". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  40. ^ "Nearly 60 dead in South Africa floods". CNA. 13 April 2022. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  41. ^ Richard Davies. "South Africa – 9 Dead, 8 Missing After Flash Floods in Johannesburg".
  42. ^ "Sudan floods kill 134 people, destroy 16 900 homes". Africanews. 15 September 2022.
  43. ^ Hako, Nasi (2022-08-30). "Climate crisis worsens Sudan floods as death toll rises". ESI-Africa.com. Retrieved 2022-08-31.
  44. ^ "Tanzania – Floods in South Leave 5 Dead, Thousands Displaced". Richard Davies.
  45. ^ Richard Davies. "Uganda – at Least 9 Killed in Western Region Flash Floods".
  46. ^ "Floods in Eastern Uganda kill at least 30 people and leave 400,000 without access to clean water". ReliefWeb. 4 August 2022.