2020 East Africa floods

Kenya Somalia Burundi Ethiopia Uganda Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti The 2020 East Africa floods were a natural disaster in Rwanda, Kenya, Somalia, Burundi, Ethiopia, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti and Tanzania, affecting at least 700,000 people.

[1][2] Floods are the most frequent type of natural disaster and occur when an overflow of water submerges land that is usually dry.

Floods are often caused by heavy rainfall, rapid snowmelt or a storm surge from a tropical cyclone or tsunami in coastal areas.

Disastrous floods have caused millions of fatalities in the twentieth century, tens of billions of dollars of direct economic loss each year, and significant disruption to global trade.

[3] Heavy rain, lighting and thunderstorms affected the country between 2 and 4 March, causing 5 fatalities, with floods reported in Kigali and Southern provinces.

On 7 March 5 people died after heavy rain caused a river to overflow and flood a cave in Nyamagabe district in Southern Province.

Heavy rain also affected parts of Eastern province 19 and 20 April where media said at least 3 people had died in separate flood incidents in Gatsibo district.

Wide areas of land are under water in Busia and Siaya counties, western Kenya, after the Nzoia river overflowed.

[8][9] Some of the effects of the 2020 floods in the country lead to displacements of people in Budalangi Constituency in Western part of Kenya who live at the shores of Nzoia River.

[11] Heavy rain has affected wide areas of Somalia from 20 April, causing rivers to rise and flash flooding.

On 27 April, massive flash flooding swept through the city of Gardo in the northeastern Bari region, part of the autonomous Puntland state.

[14] Burundi is susceptible to future water-related disasters, but examining the influence of climate change on regional hydroclimatic features is challenging due to a lack of local data and adaptation planning.

Djibouti city and surrounding areas were the worst affected after flash flooding struck on 21 April after overnight heavy rain.

[26] A positive Indian Ocean Dipole in October–December 2019 led to above average rainfall over East Africa during the 2019 October–December Short Rains.