HYDROLOGICAL SERVICES NAMIBIA- DAILY FLOOD BULLETIN: 09 March 2017

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Julianna Caldwell
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Namibia Hydrological Services Private Bag 13184 Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry Government

Urgent calls:(+264811244180) Email: mufetip@mawf.gov.na & hydrologynamibia@gmail.

24 hours show heavy rains over the northern regions and Isolated light showers are also observed over

G-WADI-rainfall accumulation for the past 24 hours preceding 08h00 on 09.03.

1 Namibia Hydrological Services Private Bag Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry Government Office Park Namibia Enquiries: Ms Pauline Mufeti Tel :( +264) Fax :( +264) Urgent calls:( ) & HYDROLOGICAL SERVICES NAMIBIA- DAILY FLOOD BULLETIN: 09 March 2017 Satellite images over the last 24 hours show heavy rains over the northern regions and Isolated light showers are also observed over the central and eastern parts of Namibia. G-WADI-rainfall accumulation for the past 24 hours preceding 08h00 on Readers can visit the Namibia Meteorological Services to view the rainfall bulletin and other useful weather and climate related information.

The flood situation in the central northern area of Namibia has reached alarming levels and citizens are advised to start taking precautionary measures.

The 2017 flood is predicted to become even higher if the 2 good rains continue as they are both in the head waters of the Cuvelai catchment in Southern Angola and in the Northern Border areas of

2 The flood situation in the central northern area of Namibia has reached alarming levels and citizens are advised to start taking precautionary measures. The magnitude of the flood in the Cuvelai Iishanas is comparable to that of 2011, which was reported as the highest flood event in living memory. The 2017 flood is predicted to become even higher if the 2 good rains continue as they are both in the head waters of the Cuvelai catchment in Southern Angola and in the Northern Border areas of Namibia within this catchment. Our colleagues from the Angolan National Department of Water reported heavy rains and flooding in Ondjiva on the 7 th and 8 th of March, and the water levels in the Cuvelai channels have started rising there after the first flood water reached the town on Sunday the 5 th of March. The flood wave from Ondjiva is expected to reach the Namibian/Angolan border areas within the next 24 hours. This means there is a serious imminent danger of greater flooding in areas already inundated as well as flooding in areas that have not been affected so far. The following hydrological gauging stations recorded the highest water levels this morning namely: Ompundja 1.52m, Shashuuli 0.95m, Okatana 0.89m Okanimekwa 1.03m, Shanalumono 0.61m, Endola 0.78m, Shakanwa 0.59m, Onyele 0.78, Akati 0.71m and Oshikuku 0.50m. Contingency planning for flood mitigation and recovery preparation must be activated and communities living in flood prone areas must take precautionary measures. Ondjiva flood situation Photos by Edson Monteiro- WASH Project Officer UNICEF, Angola

rise, with 4cm and is currently at 2.94m (NamWater GP).

3 See below photos of some areas in the Cuvelai Angola taken by John Mendelsohn 3 Cuvelai River: Shana Kafuca Cuvelai Town Bridge flooded (over the main road to Chamutete) Today s river levels: The Zambezi River level at Katima Mulilo continues to rise, with 4cm and is currently at 2.94m (NamWater GP). The Kavango River levels are rising due to good rains received in the catchment; Nkurenkuru is currently at 3.20m, increased with 2cm; Rundu recorded 5.47m, increased with 13cm; Mukwe recorded 3.30m.

4 See figures in the table below with readings from our gauging stations, site informants, and the satellitebased SADC Hydrological Cycle Observing System (SADC-HYCOS) Data Collection Platforms (DCPs). 4 Cuvelai- Etosha River Zambezi Chobe Kwando Kavango Kuiseb Gaub Fish/Orange Kunene Olushandja sub basin Ishana sub basin Water Levels (m) Site One week before one day before Today last year normal for 02-Mar March March Mar Mar Katima Mulilo (#) Ngoma Gate Kongola Camp-Kwando 0.42 Nkurenkuru Rundu Mukwe Gobabeb Schlesien Greylingshof Seeheim Tses Ai-Ais Blouputs Sendelingdrift Onyele Okanimekwa Akati Omafa Shanalumono Endola Okatana Shakambembe Shanelago Shakanwa Ompundja Shahaingu Engela Ogongo Shapoko Otamanzi Shashuuli Shaneheke Okalongo West Shanaibwengendje Oshikuku Onembaba Ruacana Ruacana Flows (m 3 /s) (=) (+) information by courtesy Riaan Bester (=) information by courtesy NamPower (#) information by courtesy NamWater (-) no reading/ station down/negative reading

5 A useful site for a range of disaster related information in Namibia: Directorate Disaster Risk Management http://www.ddrm.gov.

5 5 A useful site for a range of disaster related information in Namibia: Directorate Disaster Risk Management Feel free to share with us any hydrological information in your areas. Please put new information under a separate heading/subject. We would also like to thank everyone that has been sending us data, and please continue to do so You can also view past daily flood bulletins and other flood information on Namibia at NASA's Namibia Flood Dashboard

HYDROLOGICAL SERVICES NAMIBIA- DAILY FLOOD BULLETIN: 06 March 2017

HYDROLOGICAL SERVICES NAMIBIA- DAILY FLOOD BULLETIN: 06 March 2017 Namibia Hydrological Services Private Bag 13184 Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry Government Office Park Namibia Enquiries: Ms Pauline Mufeti Tel :( +264) 61 208 7191 Fax :( +264) 61 208 7256