Flooding has affected more than 300 households in Tana River County.
Red Cross teams are assessing household needs and warning downstream communities after a seasonal river overflowed in Wardesa.
Tana River floods have affected more than 300 households after heavy rain caused a seasonal river to overflow in Wardesa. Floodwaters also cut off the Kono Ramadha-Mlanjo road, disrupting travel and access to essential services.
The Kenya Red Cross Society said on Friday that residents in Eldera, Kono Ramadha and Mata Wardesa were affected. Its teams are assessing conditions and identifying the households’ immediate needs.
Tana River floods raise downstream concerns
Meanwhile, response teams are working with local administrators to warn communities downstream about the risk of further flooding. They are also advising families on safer places where they can seek shelter.
The Red Cross warned that rising water levels threaten communities near seasonal rivers and other flood-prone areas. Heavy rainfall can cause these rivers to rise suddenly, even when the strongest downpours occur upstream.
With the Kono Ramadha-Mlanjo road impassable, residents face disruption to movement as well as access to essential services. The response effort includes household needs assessments and safety advice for communities facing further flooding.
Weather outlook points to more rainfall
The flooding comes during Kenya’s October-December short rains season, with more rain expected across several regions. The Kenya Meteorological Service has warned of heavy downpours and thunderstorms in parts of the country.
Its forecast for Friday, November 13, included localised heavy to very heavy rainfall in the Lake Victoria Basin and Western Kenya. Parts of the Rift Valley, the Central region, including Nairobi, and northern Kenya also faced that outlook.
For Tana River, however, the agency forecast light to moderate showers and thunderstorms. It expected rain at night and in the morning, with further showers possible during the afternoon.
The broader November-December outlook also pointed to above-average rainfall across most of the country. This raises flood risks and the prospect of infrastructure damage and transport disruption, particularly in low-lying areas and river basins.
Safety advice to residents includes staying alert and avoiding crossings on flooded roads and rivers. Families in flood-prone areas should also move to safer ground whenever water levels begin to rise.
