DFO 2003-206

Flooding: 08/19/03 - ongoing (as of 10/1/03)

Sahel Region - Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin

Niger River and Tributaries - Volga Tributaries

Detailed Locations:
Mali - Tominian district, Bamako area, Missabougou. regions of Mopti and Segou. Tenekou and Timbuktu regions
Burkina Faso - Dori and Djibo areas

Rivers:
Niger River and tributaries.
Volta Noire, Oti, White Volta

Comments:
"Exceptional Heavy Rainfall" in the Sahel started in May. Water reserviors around Ouagadougou overflowing. "On 10 August, Tominian lost among other things over 700 storehouses; over 2,000 hectares of inundated fields, and hundreds of inundated houses" September 8 - "scores" of people killed in central and northern Mali. 180 homes in Timbuktu have collapsed. Niger river within a few inches of overflowing its banks.
MODIS observations of wet conditions in the Sahel along the Niger river begin in late July. MODIS observations of high levels on upper Senegal river in western Mali on August 19, 26. Wet conditions observed in western Mali on September 2, 4, 9, 13, 17, 18. High levels observed on Oti and White Volta rivers in eastern Burkina Faso, Togo and Ghana on September 17, 22, 24, 26
QuikSCAT has been showing wetter than average conditions in the Sahel throughout July and August.
Dead: 31 Displaced: 10,000 Damages: no data Affected Region ( sq km): 1,028,000 Severity Class* : 1 Flood Magnitude**: 40.3 MODIS flood inundation limit file names***:
20032741035OtiVolta206M2.comp
20032691315OtiVolta206Ma2.42.49
20032611105NigSwmp206M2.33
20032311050Mali206M2.Comp
20032311055Mali206M2.44
Below: Detailed inundation map of the Volta tributaries in northern Ghana, Togo and Benin.

 

Map preparation and image analysis: Elaine Anderson

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