<!DOCTYPE html>
<html dir="ltr" lang="en-US">
	<head>
		<!--
		 ______         __  __       ________       ______        _________       ______     
		/_____/\       /_/\/_/\     /_______/\     /_____/\      /________/\     /_____/\    
		\:::_ \ \      \:\ \:\ \    \::: _  \ \    \:::_ \ \     \__.::.__\/     \:::__\/    
		 \:\ \ \ \_     \:\ \:\ \    \::(_)  \ \    \:(_) ) )_      \::\ \          /: /     
		  \:\ \ /_ \     \:\ \:\ \    \:: __  \ \    \: __ `\ \      \::\ \        /::/___   
		   \:\_-  \ \     \:\_\:\ \    \:.\ \  \ \    \ \ `\ \ \      \::\ \      /_:/____/\ 
		    \___|\_\_/     \_____\/     \__\/\__\/     \_\/ \_\/       \__\/      \_______\/

		!-->
		<meta charset="utf-8"/>
		<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=0, minimum-scale=1.0, maximum-scale=1.0"/>
		<meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-title" content="Quartz"/>
		<meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style" content="black"/>
		<meta name="robots" content="noodp,noydir"/>
		<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=Edge">
		<meta name="bitly-verification" content="3cc1017cee1d"/>
		<meta name="theme-color" content="#000000">
		<meta property="fb:pages" content="444654488901592">
		<title>Floods in Africa in August killed 25 times more people than Hurricane Harvey did — Quartz</title>

		<script>
			var currentDomain = "qz.com";
			var currentPath = "https://app.qz.com";
						window.QZ = {
				bootstrap: {},
				env: { screen: 'desktop' },
				edition: 'africa',
				version: '4.0.1124'
			};

			(function(){
				var el = document.createElement('div');
				if( typeof(el.style['mask-image']) !== 'undefined' || typeof(el.style['-webkit-mask-image']) !== 'undefined' ) {
					document.documentElement.className += ' has-mask';
				}
			})();
			
		</script>

        			<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://app.qz.com/css/styles-min.4.0.1124.css"/>
        
		<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=PT+Serif:400,700,400italic">
		<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="144x144" href="https://app.qz.com/img/icons/touch_144.png"/>
		<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="114x114" href="https://app.qz.com/img/icons/touch_114.png"/>
		<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="72x72" href="https://app.qz.com/img/icons/touch_72.png"/>
		<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="https://app.qz.com/img/icons/touch.png"/>
		<link rel="logo" type="image/svg" href="https://app.qz.com/svg/Qz_Logo.svg"/>
		<link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://app.qz.com/img/icons/favicon.ico"/>
		<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="print" href="https://app.qz.com/css/print.css" />
		<link href="https://app.qz.com/img/apple/touch-startup-image-320x460.png" media="(device-width: 320px) and (device-height: 480px) and (-webkit-device-pixel-ratio: 1)" rel="apple-touch-startup-image">
		<link href="https://app.qz.com/img/apple/touch-startup-image-640x920.png" media="(device-width: 320px) and (device-height: 480px) and (-webkit-device-pixel-ratio: 2)" rel="apple-touch-startup-image">
		<link href="https://app.qz.com/img/apple/touch-startup-image-640x1096.png" media="(device-width: 320px) and (device-height: 568px) and (-webkit-device-pixel-ratio: 2)" rel="apple-touch-startup-image">
		<link href="https://app.qz.com/img/apple/touch-startup-image-768x1004.png" media="(device-width: 768px) and (orientation: portrait) and (device-height: 1024px) and (-webkit-device-pixel-ratio: 1)" rel="apple-touch-startup-image">
		<link href="https://app.qz.com/img/apple/touch-startup-image-768x1004-landscape.png" media="(device-width: 768px) and (orientation: landscape) and (device-height: 1024px) and (-webkit-device-pixel-ratio: 1)" rel="apple-touch-startup-image">
		<link href="https://app.qz.com/img/apple/touch-startup-image-1536x2008.png" media="(device-width: 768px) and (orientation: portrait) and (device-height: 1024px) and (-webkit-device-pixel-ratio: 2)" rel="apple-touch-startup-image">
		<link href="https://app.qz.com/img/apple/touch-startup-image-1536x2008-landscape.png" media="(device-width: 768px) and (orientation: landscape) and (device-height: 1024px) and (-webkit-device-pixel-ratio: 2)" rel="apple-touch-startup-image">
		<meta name="google-site-verification" content="Fm_AozADu13Rytwyc4XvQo_081WOanaXLa6xKd8dUgc" />
<meta name="msvalidate.01" content="4B2AFFFDBF9736993D778515CB307FAF" />
<meta name="description" content="The rainy season is usually welcomed in parts of Africa as a timely break from the heat of the dry season. But so far, in 2017, the rains have given way to flood disasters which have led to a death toll numbering in hundreds. Like severe floods in southern Asia, the disasters in Africa have..."/>
<meta name="author" content="Yomi Kazeem"/>
<meta property="author" content="Yomi Kazeem"/>
<meta name="news_keywords" content="benue flood, Buhari, Climate change, DR Congo mudslide, flood in makurdi, flood in Niger, houston hurricane, Hurricane Harvey, hurricane harvey damage, hurricane harvey relief"/>
<meta property="og:title" content="Floods in Africa in August killed 25 times more people than Hurricane Harvey did"/>
<meta property="og:type" content="article"/>
<meta property="og:image" content="https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/rts1c87n.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1600"/>
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1600"/>
<meta property="og:image:height" content="900"/>
<meta property="og:url" content="https://qz.com/1068790/floods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did/"/>
<meta property="og:description" content="Floods have hit DR Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Niger."/>
<meta property="og:locale" content="en_US"/>
<meta property="og:site_name" content="Quartz"/>
<meta property="article:publisher" content="https://www.facebook.com/quartznews"/>
<meta property="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/>
<meta property="twitter:title" content="Floods in Africa in August killed 25 times more people than Hurricane Harvey did"/>
<meta property="twitter:image" content="https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/rts1c87n.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=800&amp;h=400&amp;crop=1"/>
<meta property="twitter:url" content="https://qz.com/1068790/floods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did/"/>
<meta property="twitter:description" content="Floods have hit DR Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Niger."/>
<meta property="twitter:site" content="@qz"/>
<meta property="twitter:creator" content="@TheYomiKazeem"/>
<link rel="shortlink" href="https://qz.com/1068790"><script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","name":"Floods in Africa in August killed 25 times more people than Hurricane Harvey did","headline":"Floods in Africa in August killed 25 times more people than Hurricane Harvey did","alternativeHeadline":"Floods have hit DR Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Niger..","description":"Floods have hit DR Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Niger.","url":"https:\/\/qz.com\/1068790\/floods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did\/","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Yomi Kazeem","url":"https:\/\/qz.com\/author\/ykazeem\/","sameAs":["https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheYomiKazeem"]},"creator":["Yomi Kazeem"],"dateCreated":"2017-09-04T06:48:16+00:00","datePublished":"2017-09-04T06:48:16+00:00","image":"https:\/\/qzprod.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/08\/rts1c87n.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=1024","thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/qzprod.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/08\/rts1c87n.jpg?quality=80&strip=all","articleSection":"africa","keywords":["benue flood","Buhari","Climate change","DR Congo mudslide","flood in makurdi","flood in Niger","houston hurricane","Hurricane Harvey","hurricane harvey damage","hurricane harvey relief","makurdi flood","NEMA Benue","NEMA Makurdi","Niger flood","President Muhammadu Buhari","SEMA Benue","SEMA Makurdi","sierra leone death toll","Sierra Leone mudslide"],"inLanguage":"en-us","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Quartz","logo":"https:\/\/app.qz.com\/svg\/Qz_Logo.svg","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Quartz_(publication)","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/quartznews","https:\/\/twitter.com\/qz"],"url":"https:\/\/qz.com","member":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Kevin J. Delaney","jobTitle":"CEO"}],"memberOf":{"@type":"Corporation","name":"Atlantic Media","founder":{"@type":"Person","name":"David G. Bradley"}},"location":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"New York","addressRegion":"NY"}},"identifier":[{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"Topic","value":"Politics and policy"}]}</script>		<script src='https://r-login.wordpress.com/remote-login.php?action=js&amp;host=qz.com&amp;id=39587363&amp;t=1518939940&amp;back=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790%2Ffloods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did%2F' type="text/javascript"></script>
		<script type="text/javascript">
		/* <![CDATA[ */
			if ( 'function' === typeof WPRemoteLogin ) {
				document.cookie = "wordpress_test_cookie=test; path=/";
				if ( document.cookie.match( /(;|^)\s*wordpress_test_cookie\=/ ) ) {
					WPRemoteLogin();
				}
			}
		/* ]]> */
		</script>
		<link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//s2.wp.com' />
<link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//s0.wp.com' />
<link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//s1.wp.com' />
<link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//qzprod.wordpress.com' />
	<script type="text/javascript">
		/* <![CDATA[ */
		function addLoadEvent(func) {
			var oldonload = window.onload;
			if (typeof window.onload != 'function') {
				window.onload = func;
			} else {
				window.onload = function () {
					oldonload();
					func();
				}
			}
		}
		/* ]]> */
	</script>
			<script type="text/javascript">
			window._wpemojiSettings = {"baseUrl":"https:\/\/s0.wp.com\/wp-content\/mu-plugins\/wpcom-smileys\/twemoji\/2\/72x72\/","ext":".png","svgUrl":"https:\/\/s0.wp.com\/wp-content\/mu-plugins\/wpcom-smileys\/twemoji\/2\/svg\/","svgExt":".svg","source":{"concatemoji":"https:\/\/s1.wp.com\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-emoji-release.min.js?m=1516999477h&ver=4.9.4"}};
			!function(a,b,c){function d(a,b){var c=String.fromCharCode;l.clearRect(0,0,k.width,k.height),l.fillText(c.apply(this,a),0,0);var d=k.toDataURL();l.clearRect(0,0,k.width,k.height),l.fillText(c.apply(this,b),0,0);var e=k.toDataURL();return d===e}function e(a){var b;if(!l||!l.fillText)return!1;switch(l.textBaseline="top",l.font="600 32px Arial",a){case"flag":return!(b=d([55356,56826,55356,56819],[55356,56826,8203,55356,56819]))&&(b=d([55356,57332,56128,56423,56128,56418,56128,56421,56128,56430,56128,56423,56128,56447],[55356,57332,8203,56128,56423,8203,56128,56418,8203,56128,56421,8203,56128,56430,8203,56128,56423,8203,56128,56447]),!b);case"emoji":return b=d([55357,56692,8205,9792,65039],[55357,56692,8203,9792,65039]),!b}return!1}function f(a){var c=b.createElement("script");c.src=a,c.defer=c.type="text/javascript",b.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(c)}var g,h,i,j,k=b.createElement("canvas"),l=k.getContext&&k.getContext("2d");for(j=Array("flag","emoji"),c.supports={everything:!0,everythingExceptFlag:!0},i=0;i<j.length;i++)c.supports[j[i]]=e(j[i]),c.supports.everything=c.supports.everything&&c.supports[j[i]],"flag"!==j[i]&&(c.supports.everythingExceptFlag=c.supports.everythingExceptFlag&&c.supports[j[i]]);c.supports.everythingExceptFlag=c.supports.everythingExceptFlag&&!c.supports.flag,c.DOMReady=!1,c.readyCallback=function(){c.DOMReady=!0},c.supports.everything||(h=function(){c.readyCallback()},b.addEventListener?(b.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",h,!1),a.addEventListener("load",h,!1)):(a.attachEvent("onload",h),b.attachEvent("onreadystatechange",function(){"complete"===b.readyState&&c.readyCallback()})),g=c.source||{},g.concatemoji?f(g.concatemoji):g.wpemoji&&g.twemoji&&(f(g.twemoji),f(g.wpemoji)))}(window,document,window._wpemojiSettings);
		</script>
		<style type="text/css">
img.wp-smiley,
img.emoji {
	display: inline !important;
	border: none !important;
	box-shadow: none !important;
	height: 1em !important;
	width: 1em !important;
	margin: 0 .07em !important;
	vertical-align: -0.1em !important;
	background: none !important;
	padding: 0 !important;
}
</style>
<link rel='stylesheet' id='all-css-0-1' href='https://s1.wp.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/widgets/social-icons/social-icons.css?m=1497281131h&cssminify=yes' type='text/css' media='all' />
<script type='text/javascript' src='https://s1.wp.com/_static/??-eJyFztEKwjAMBdAfsquTiXsRv6XWOFKXtDbphn69HeiDMBQCgdzDJXZOBtmP5QJiQ517gfx4rybIxv4ChnDITqEh5A/2kRVYF0vxjCOYIpDdUG+16BpXXIqiBCIVraTfLyFPCPNfFkCT8zeTQfC5tJ7o2Hb9Yde3+24bXjRNW9I='></script>
<meta name="generator" content="WordPress.com" />
<link rel="canonical" href="https://qz.com/1068790/floods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did/" />
<link rel="alternate" type="application/json+oembed" href="https://public-api.wordpress.com/oembed/?format=json&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790%2Ffloods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did%2F&amp;for=wpcom-auto-discovery" /><link rel="alternate" type="application/xml+oembed" href="https://public-api.wordpress.com/oembed/?format=xml&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790%2Ffloods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did%2F&amp;for=wpcom-auto-discovery" /><link rel='openid.server' href='https://qzprod.wordpress.com/?openidserver=1' />
<link rel='openid.delegate' href='https://qzprod.wordpress.com/' />
<link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="https://qz.com/osd.xml" title="Quartz" />
<link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="https://s1.wp.com/opensearch.xml" title="WordPress.com" />
<meta name="application-name" content="Quartz" /><meta name="msapplication-window" content="width=device-width;height=device-height" /><meta name="msapplication-tooltip" content="Quartz is a digitally native news outlet for the new global economy." /><meta name="msapplication-task" content="name=Subscribe;action-uri=https://qz.com/feed/;icon-uri=https://secure.gravatar.com/blavatar/7fd9e2ee486de5ce0c713891ec823ea6?s=16" /><link rel="amphtml" href="https://qz.com/1068790/floods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did/amp/" /><style type="text/css" id="syntaxhighlighteranchor"></style>
    </head>
	<body class="post-template-default single single-post postid-1068790 single-format-standard mp6 customizer-styles-applied highlander-enabled highlander-light">
	<div id="marquee">
		<div id="marquee-content"></div>
	</div>
	<header id="header" class="has-edition">
	<div class="logo">
		<a href="https://qz.com" title="Quartz" id="qz-logo">
			<!--[if gte IE 10]><!-->
<!-- QUARTZ LOGO -->
<svg version="1.1" id="Layer_1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0px" y="0px"
	 width="160px" height="25px" fill="" viewBox="0 0 160 25" enable-background="new 0 0 160 25" xml:space="preserve">
	<g>
		<g>
			<path d="M21.852,19.584c1.479-2.008,2.356-4.488,2.356-7.173c0-6.682-5.442-12.123-12.124-12.123
				c-6.686,0-12.123,5.441-12.123,12.123c0,6.687,5.438,12.124,12.123,12.124c2.628,0,5.065-0.84,7.054-2.271l3.038,3.039
				l2.699-2.695L21.852,19.584z M19.109,16.842l-4.479-4.479l-2.694,2.699l4.455,4.456c-1.259,0.763-2.732,1.201-4.307,1.201
				c-4.583,0-8.308-3.725-8.308-8.308c0-4.579,3.725-8.308,8.308-8.308c4.578,0,8.308,3.729,8.308,8.308
				C20.392,14.037,19.92,15.559,19.109,16.842z"/>
		</g>
		<g>
			<polygon points="133.62,0.889 133.62,4.743 126.411,4.743 126.411,24.017 122.507,24.017 122.507,4.743 115.299,4.743 
				115.299,0.889 		"/>
		</g>
		<g>
			<path d="M73.351,0.889h-4.688L59.75,24.017h4.091l1.67-4.506h10.992l1.669,4.506h4.093L73.351,0.889z M66.998,15.906l4.011-10.439
				l4.006,10.439H66.998z"/>
		</g>
		<g>
			<polygon points="160.052,4.743 147.123,20.111 160.052,20.111 160.052,24.017 142.031,24.017 142.031,19.908 155.006,4.743 
				142.932,4.743 142.932,0.927 160.052,0.927 		"/>
		</g>
		<g>
			<path d="M52.19,0.889v14.632c0,4.96-4.03,8.995-8.99,8.995s-8.995-4.035-8.995-8.995V0.889h3.901v14.632
				c-0.086,2.856,2.236,5.18,5.094,5.18c2.853,0,5.175-2.323,5.119-5.18V0.889H52.19z"/>
		</g>
		<g>
			<path d="M102.612,16.184c2.653-1.321,4.47-4.044,4.47-7.183c0-4.239-3.496-8.026-7.849-8.112h-8.564v23.128h3.905v-6.966h3.537
				l8.05,8.156l2.713-2.681L102.612,16.184z M98.949,13.236h-4.375v-8.47h4.375c2.381,0,4.317,1.898,4.317,4.235
				C103.267,11.338,101.33,13.236,98.949,13.236z"/>
		</g>
	</g>
</svg>
<!-- /QUARTZ LOGO -->

<!--<![endif]-->			<span class="header-edition">Africa</span>
		</a>
	</div>
	<div class="right">
		<button id="avatar" class="header-button">
			<i class="icon-more"></i>
		</button>
		<button class="menu header-button">
			<i class="icon-more"></i>
		</button>
		<a href="https://qz.com/search/" class="search header-button">
			<i class="icon-search"></i>
		</a>
		<a href="https://qz.com/obsessions/" class="obsessions header-button">
			obsessions
		</a>
		<a href="https://qz.com/newsletters/daily-brief/" class="dbsignup header-button"><i class="icon-daily-brief"></i></a>
	</div>
	<div id="header-search-input"></div>
	<div class="left">
		<a href="https://qz.com/search/" class="search header-button">
			<i class="icon-search"></i>
		</a>
		<a href="https://qz.com/top/" class="top header-button">
			our picks
		</a>
		<a href="https://qz.com/latest/" class="latest header-button">
			latest
		</a>
		<a href="https://qz.com/popular/" class="popular header-button">
			popular
		</a>
		<a href="https://www.facebook.com/quartznews" class="fb header-button" target="_blank"><i class="icon-facebook"></i></a>
		<a href="https://twitter.com/qz" class="twitter header-button" target="_blank"><i class="icon-twitter"></i></a>
	</div>
</header>
<div id="settings-nav-bg"></div>
<nav id="settingsNav" class="no-animation ">
	<div class="upper">
		<a href="https://work.qz.com" class="qz-at-work"><i class="icon-q"></i>quartz at work</a>
		<a href="https://www.facebook.com/quartznews" class="fb" target="_blank"><i class="icon-facebook"></i>like us on facebook</a>
		<a href="https://www.twitter.com/qz" class="twitter" target="_blank"><i class="icon-twitter"></i>follow us on twitter</a>
		<a href="https://qz.com/about/" class="about-us"><i class="icon-about"></i>about us</a>
		<a href="https://quartzy.qz.com" class="qzy"><i class="icon-qzy"></i>quartzy</a>
		<a href="https://www.theatlas.com" class="atlas"><i class="icon-atlas"></i>Atlas</a>
		<a href="https://qz.com/index/" class="quartz-index"><i class="icon-index"></i>quartz index</a>
		<a href="https://qz.com/app/" class="qz-app"><i class="icon-app"></i>quartz app</a>
	</div>
	<div class="lower">
		<a href="https://qz.com/global/"><i class="icon-global"></i>quartz</a>
					<a href="https://qz.com/india/ ">
				<i class="icon-india"></i>
				quartz India			</a>
					<a href="https://qz.com/africa/ ">
				<i class="icon-africa"></i>
				quartz Africa			</a>
			</div>
	<button class="navigation-toggle">
		<span class="edition-text icon-down-arrow">Change your edition</span>
		<span class="menu-text icon-down-arrow">back to menu</span>
	</button>
</nav>
	<div id="container">
<div id="content"><div id="content-header" data-disable-attach="true">
	</div>
<div id="content-articles" data-disable-attach="true">
	<div id="well"><article id="item-1068790" class="item africa article has-hero" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/NewsArticle">
<header class="item-header content-width-responsive">
			<span class="kicker">STORMS</span>
		<h1 itemprop="headline">Floods in Africa in August killed 25 times more people than Hurricane Harvey did</h1>	<div class="item-meta-mobile"><div class="byline item-meta-row">
	<h5>Written by</h5>

	
		
			
			<a href="https://qz.com/author/ykazeem/" class="author-name" data-index="0" itemprop="author">Yomi Kazeem</a>

			
			
			
		
		
	</div>



<div class="item-timestamp item-meta-row">

			<span class="timestamp" itemprop="datePublished">September 04, 2017</span>
	
			<a class="edition" href="https://qz.com/africa/">Quartz africa</a>
	
</div>
</div>
</header>
<figure class="progressive-image featured-image size-extra-large ">
	<picture style="padding-bottom: 66.685714285714%; background-image: url(https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/rts1c87n.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=50);">
		<img src="https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/rts1c87n.jpg?quality=80&#038;strip=all&#038;w=50" class="progressive-image-thumbnail">
		<img data-srcset="https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/rts1c87n.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=320 320w, https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/rts1c87n.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=640 640w, https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/rts1c87n.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=940 940w, https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/rts1c87n.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=1600 1600w, https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/rts1c87n.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=3200 3200w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 320px, (max-width: 640px) 640px, (max-width: 940px) 940px, 100vw" data-src="https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/rts1c87n.jpg?quality=80&#038;strip=all&#038;w=3500" class="progressive-image-large" alt="Workers are digging graves at the Paloko cemetery in Waterloo, Sierra Leone August 17, 2017." title=""/>
		<noscript>
			<img itemprop="image" src="https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/rts1c87n.jpg?quality=80&#038;strip=all&#038;w=320" alt="Workers are digging graves at the Paloko cemetery in Waterloo, Sierra Leone August 17, 2017." title="">
		</noscript>
	</picture>
	<figcaption class="featured-image-caption">
		<div class="content-width-responsive">
			<i class="icon-camera"></i>Workers digging mass graves.							<span class="featured-image-credit has-space"> (Reuters/Afolabi Sotunde)</span>
					</div>
	</figcaption>
</figure>

<div class="item-content ">
	<div class="item-meta">
		<div class="share-buttons colored item-meta-row">
			<h5>Share</h5>
				 <a title="Share on twitter" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790&#038;text=Floods%20in%20Africa%20in%20August%20killed%2025%20times%20more%20people%20than%20Hurricane%20Harvey%20did&#038;via=qzafrica" target="_blank" class="share-action icon-twitter"></a>
	 <a title="Share on facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790%2Ffloods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did%2F&#038;caption=qz.com%20%7C%20By%20Yomi%20Kazeem" target="_blank" class="share-action icon-facebook"></a>
	 <a title="Share on linkedin" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790%2Ffloods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did%2F&#038;title=Floods%20in%20Africa%20in%20August%20killed%2025%20times%20more%20people%20than%20Hurricane%20Harvey%20did&#038;summary=The%20rainy%20season%20is%20usually%20welcomed%20in%20parts%20of%20Africa%20as%20a%20timely%20break%20from%20the%20heat%20of%20the%20dry%20season.%20But%20so%20far%2C%20in%E2%80%A6&#038;source=Quartz" target="_blank" class="share-action icon-linkedin"></a>
	 <a title="Share on email" href="mailto:?subject=Quartz%3A%20Floods%20in%20Africa%20in%20August%20killed%2025%20times%20more%20people%20than%20Hurricane%20Harvey%20did&#038;body=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790%2Ffloods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did%2F%0A%0AThe%20rainy%20season%20is%20usually%20welcomed%20in%20parts%20of%20Africa%20as%20a%20timely%20break%20from%20the%20heat%20of%20the%20dry%20season.%20But%20so%20far%2C%20in%E2%80%A6%0A%0ASign%20up%20for%20the%20Quartz%20Daily%20Brief%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2Fquartzdailybrief." target="_blank" class="share-action icon-email"></a>
	 <a title="Share on whatsapp" href="whatsapp://send?text=Floods%20in%20Africa%20in%20August%20killed%2025%20times%20more%20people%20than%20Hurricane%20Harvey%20did%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790%2Ffloods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did%2F" target="_blank" class="share-action icon-whatsapp"></a>
		</div>
		<div class="byline item-meta-row">
	<h5>Written by</h5>

	
		
			
			<a href="https://qz.com/author/ykazeem/" class="author-name" data-index="0" itemprop="author">Yomi Kazeem</a>

			
			
			
		
		
	</div>



<div class="item-timestamp item-meta-row">

			<span class="timestamp" itemprop="datePublished">September 04, 2017</span>
	
			<a class="edition" href="https://qz.com/africa/">Quartz africa</a>
	
</div>
	</div>
	<div class="item-body" itemprop="articleBody">
		<div>
			
<p>The rainy season is usually welcomed in parts of Africa as a timely break from the heat of the dry season. But so far, in 2017, the rains have given way to flood disasters which have led to a death toll numbering in hundreds.</p>
<p>Like severe floods<a href="https://qz.com/1065404/while-hurricane-harvey-devastates-texas-1200-people-have-died-from-severe-floods-in-india-nepal-and-bangladesh-in-south-asia/"> in southern Asia</a>, the disasters in Africa have been largely under-reported compared to similar events in Houston where Hurricane Harvey, a once in a &ldquo;500-year storm&rdquo; has<a href="https://qz.com/1068571/incredible-before-and-after-images-of-houston-neighborhoods-hit-by-hurricane-harvey/"> wreaked havoc</a>. But while the devastation in Houston could have hardly been avoided, many of the recent flood disasters in Africa have been exacerbated by years of poorly planned drainage systems. In another contrast, while rescue and relief operations in Houston have successfully saved countless lives and helped survivors, the same can&rsquo;t be said in parts of Africa that have been badly flooded, worsening the death toll. Across Texas, <a href="http://nypost.com/2017/09/03/harvey-death-toll-rises-to-50-as-residents-begin-long-recovery/">50 people</a> have been reported dead due to the tropical storm but across Africa, intense rains and mudslides killed at least 1,240 people in August.</p>
<h2>Freetown, Sierra Leone</h2>
<p>In mid-August, Freetown, Sierra Leone&rsquo;s capital, was rocked by its worst natural disaster in recent times as a devastating mudslide destroyed homes and buried hundreds under the debris. An unofficial death toll suggests <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/sierra-leone-mudslides-kill-1000-170827205358504.html">more than 1,000 casualties</a> as, with hundreds still missing, the possibility of finding any survivors dimmed in the days after the tragedy. Sierra Leone&rsquo;s president Ernest Bai Koroma described the mudslide as overwhelming and called for &ldquo;<a href="https://www.enca.com/africa/sierra-leone-president-appeals-for-urgent-support-for-flood-victims">urgent support.&rdquo;</a>  The mudslide comes only three years after the Ebola outbreak which killed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/20/ebola-epidemic-in-sierra-leone-may-be-over-say-health-workers">nearly 4,000 people.</a></p>
<figure id="image-1054995" class="progressive-image inline-image  alignnone zoomable size-medium"><picture style="padding-bottom: 75%; background-image: url(https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/ap_17227646952498.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=50);"><img src="https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/ap_17227646952498.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=50" class="progressive-image-thumbnail"><img data-srcset="https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/ap_17227646952498.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=320 320w, https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/ap_17227646952498.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/ap_17227646952498.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=940 940w, https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/ap_17227646952498.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1600 1600w, https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/ap_17227646952498.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=3200 3200w" data-src="https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/ap_17227646952498.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 320px, 640px" class="progressive-image-large" alt="Security forces search for bodies from the scene of heavy flooding and mudslides in Regent, just outside of Sierra Leone's capital Freetown, Tuesday, Aug. 15 , 2017. Survivors of deadly mudslides in Sierra Leone's capital are vividly describing the disaster as President Ernest Bai Koroma says the nation is in a &quot;state of grief.&quot;"></picture><figcaption class="inline-image-caption"><i class="icon-camera"></i><span class="inline-image-credit has-space"> (AP Photo/ Manika Kamara)</span></figcaption></figure><p>It&rsquo;s not the first time Freetown&mdash;which records the <a href="https://www.indexmundi.com/facts/indicators/AG.LND.PRCP.MM/rankings">highest annual rainfall in Africa</a>&mdash;has suffered severe flooding. But the coastal city&rsquo;s problems have <a href="https://qz.com/1054791/sierra-leone-mudslide-over-400-people-have-been-killed-and-600-more-remain-missing/">been worsened</a> by decades of poor waste disposal habits and the government&rsquo;s lack of urban planning. More than half of homes in Freetown are <a href="http://bohr.com.au/development/freetowns-housing-situation/">defined as slums</a> and most are built on hillside outskirts at the cost of rapid deforestation making the mudslide more devastating than it should have been.</p>
<h2>Niamey, Niger</h2>
<p>Last week, thousands of people in Niamey, Niger&rsquo;s capital city, were advised to evacuate their homes following severe flooding. Back in May, the United Nations had warned that <a href="http://reliefweb.int/report/niger/bulletin-humanitaire-niger-mars-avril-2017">more than 100,000 people</a> were at risk of the flooding and so far this year, the death toll has<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-41081108"> topped 40 people</a>. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed forcing stranded residents to take shelter in local schools.</p>
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Unnoticed. As 15 deaths from heavy rains in Houston USA grab world attention, 44 have died so far in Niger from torrential rains. <a href="https://t.co/ea2sNnDb78">pic.twitter.com/ea2sNnDb78</a></p>
<p>&mdash; James Hall (@hallaboutafrica) <a href="https://twitter.com/hallaboutafrica/status/902782131532902400">August 30, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
</div>
<h2>Ituri, DR Congo</h2>
<p>Over 200 people are believed to have died after a mudslide hit a fishing village in DR Congo&rsquo;s Ituri province in mid-August. At the time, Pacifique Keta, deputy governor of the northeastern province, said rescue operations <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/dr-congo-landslide-death-toll-climbs-200-170819130511762.html">were &ldquo;complicated&rdquo;</a> given the mountainous terrain of the area and the continued adverse weather. Like in Freetown, residents in the area have mushroomed on steep hillsides over the years worsening the effects of floods.</p>
<h2>Benue, Nigeria</h2>
<p>More than 110,000 people have been displaced in Benue, a state in Nigeria&rsquo;s middle belt, over the past week after intense rains. In addition to thousands of homes, local markets and government offices were badly affected by the flood, <a href="https://guardian.ng/news/flood-displaces-over-110000-people-in-makurdi/">according to the state emergency agency</a>. But help has been <a href="https://ynaija.com/nema-visits-benue-says-relief-materials-arriving-3-days/?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter">slow to come</a>. While president Muhammadu Buhari says he&rsquo;s received reports of the flood with &ldquo;great concern&rdquo; and has ordered relief efforts, very little has been forthcoming. Collins Uma, a Benue-based writer says most of the relief efforts made available so far are down to the &ldquo;efforts of individuals and groups, not the government.&rdquo;</p>
<div class="embed-twitter">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MakurdiFlood?src=hash">#MakurdiFlood</a> &hellip;God help us <a href="https://t.co/KG69CfDNcr">pic.twitter.com/KG69CfDNcr</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Peace  Eziuzor (@treaspeace) <a href="https://twitter.com/treaspeace/status/904395061537988608">September 3, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
</div>
<p>Jidenna, the US-born Grammy-nominated musician with a Nigerian father, has also launched a social media campaign to raise money for victims of the flood.</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BYl6FUXDHK5/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:500px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div>
</div>
<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BYl6FUXDHK5/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">While both Freetown and Houston have been enduring, more than 100,000 people have been displaced by flooding in Benue State, Nigeria. Benue is next to the state where I grew up so this really hits home. We need more prayer and more action. Here are a couple ways to donate directly to relief funds via bank account. #BenueRelief | #BenueFlood | #MakurdiFlood |#PrayforBenue</a></p>
<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jidenna/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Jidenna</a> (@jidenna) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-09-03T20:29:08+00:00">Sep 3, 2017 at 1:29pm PDT</time></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p>The floods in Benue are also not a new event. &ldquo;This happens every year and will likely happen next year, but the government pays lip service to it,&rdquo; Uma tells Quartz. &ldquo;If we had working drainage systems, this would not happen.&rdquo;</p>
<p><em><a href="https://qz.com/newsletters/africa-weekly-brief/" target="_blank">Sign up for the Quartz Africa Weekly Brief</a> &mdash; the most important and interesting news from across the continent, in your inbox.</em></p>
			<div class="article-aside">
									<aside class="popular-stories-module">
  <article>
    <h4 class="module-title">Most Popular</h4>
          <figure class="popular-module-featured-image">
        <a href="https://qz.com/1208266/the-1-8-billion-punjab-national-bank-nirav-modi-fraud-explained/" title="Everything you need to know about the $1.8 billion PNB-Nirav Modi fraud">
          <img src="https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/pnb.jpg?quality=80&#038;strip=all&#038;w=240" alt="A man exits Punjab National Bank&#039;s building as a stray dog walks past in Kolkata, India May 16, 2017">
        </a>
      </figure>
        <h3><a href="https://qz.com/1208266/the-1-8-billion-punjab-national-bank-nirav-modi-fraud-explained/" title="Everything you need to know about the $1.8 billion PNB-Nirav Modi fraud">Everything you need to know about the $1.8 billion PNB-Nirav Modi fraud</a></h3>
  </article>
</aside>
							</div>
		</div>
		<div class="item-share-tools article-footer">
			<div class="short-url">
				<input type="text" name="shortURL" value="https://qz.com/1068790"/>
			</div>
			<div class="share-buttons colored">
					 <a title="Share on twitter" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790&#038;text=Floods%20in%20Africa%20in%20August%20killed%2025%20times%20more%20people%20than%20Hurricane%20Harvey%20did&#038;via=qzafrica" target="_blank" class="share-action icon-twitter"></a>
	 <a title="Share on facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790%2Ffloods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did%2F&#038;caption=qz.com%20%7C%20By%20Yomi%20Kazeem" target="_blank" class="share-action icon-facebook"></a>
	 <a title="Share on linkedin" href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790%2Ffloods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did%2F&#038;title=Floods%20in%20Africa%20in%20August%20killed%2025%20times%20more%20people%20than%20Hurricane%20Harvey%20did&#038;summary=The%20rainy%20season%20is%20usually%20welcomed%20in%20parts%20of%20Africa%20as%20a%20timely%20break%20from%20the%20heat%20of%20the%20dry%20season.%20But%20so%20far%2C%20in%E2%80%A6&#038;source=Quartz" target="_blank" class="share-action icon-linkedin"></a>
	 <a title="Share on email" href="mailto:?subject=Quartz%3A%20Floods%20in%20Africa%20in%20August%20killed%2025%20times%20more%20people%20than%20Hurricane%20Harvey%20did&#038;body=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790%2Ffloods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did%2F%0A%0AThe%20rainy%20season%20is%20usually%20welcomed%20in%20parts%20of%20Africa%20as%20a%20timely%20break%20from%20the%20heat%20of%20the%20dry%20season.%20But%20so%20far%2C%20in%E2%80%A6%0A%0ASign%20up%20for%20the%20Quartz%20Daily%20Brief%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2Fquartzdailybrief." target="_blank" class="share-action icon-email"></a>
	 <a title="Share on whatsapp" href="whatsapp://send?text=Floods%20in%20Africa%20in%20August%20killed%2025%20times%20more%20people%20than%20Hurricane%20Harvey%20did%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790%2Ffloods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did%2F" target="_blank" class="share-action icon-whatsapp"></a>
			</div>
		</div>
		<button class="read-full-story-button">Read full story</button>
	</div>
	<div class="article-annotations"></div>
</div>
<div class="after-article"></div>
<div id="engage-1068790"></div>
</article></div></div></div></div>
<div id="modal">
	</div>
<div id="chyron"></div>
<div id="tab-bar">
	<a href="https://qz.com" class="tab home"><i class="icon-q"></i>home</a>
	<a href="https://qz.com/top/" class="tab top"><i class="icon-star"></i>our picks</a>
	<a href="https://qz.com/popular/" class="tab popular"><i class="icon-most-popular"></i>popular</a>
	<a href="https://qz.com/latest/" class="tab latest"><i class="icon-latest"></i>latest</a>
	<a href="https://qz.com/obsessions/" class="tab obsessions"><i class="icon-obsessions"></i>obsessions</a>
	<a href="https://qz.com/search/" class="tab search"><i class="icon-search"></i>search</a>
</div><!-- wpcom_wp_footer -->
			<script>
				( function(){

					// Check if cookies are enabled
					// @see http://sveinbjorn.org/cookiecheck
					var cookieEnabled = (navigator.cookieEnabled) ? true : false;

					if (typeof navigator.cookieEnabled == "undefined" && !cookieEnabled){ 
						document.cookie="testcookie";
						cookieEnabled = (document.cookie.indexOf("testcookie") != -1) ? true : false;
					}
					
					if( ! cookieEnabled )
						return;
					
					// Set cookie with test condition
					document.cookie = "pc2_see_more_module_2018_02" + '=' + "exposed" + '; expires=' + "Mon, 18 Feb 2019 07:45:40 +0000" + '; path=/';
					
				})();
			</script>
		<script type='text/javascript'>
/* <![CDATA[ */
var wpcomVipAnalytics = {"is_404":"0","is_home":"0","is_single":"1","is_front_page":"0","is_archive":"0","percentToTrack":"1"};
/* ]]> */
</script>
<script type='text/javascript' src='https://s0.wp.com/_static/??-eJyVjUsOAjEMQy9ECL+CWCDOEtoI2mkzQ9IO4vaUDSuExMqWZfvhYwI/SmWpWBpMuV2jGOY4sOG9ceMbScisy2QL/F7ewBwnTIZdgITys0ZvPwYUShS4kGIhq6zdwTizagyd+sn+fKhKfnhjz+W0dqvj9rBze5dexilTlw=='></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
(function() {
try{
  if ( window.external &&'msIsSiteMode' in window.external) {
    if (window.external.msIsSiteMode()) {
      var jl = document.createElement('script');
      jl.type='text/javascript';
      jl.async=true;
      jl.src='/wp-content/plugins/ie-sitemode/custom-jumplist.php';
      var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
      s.parentNode.insertBefore(jl, s);
    }
  }
}catch(e){}
})();
// ]]>
</script><script src="//stats.wp.com/w.js?56" type="text/javascript" async defer></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
_tkq = window._tkq || [];
_stq = window._stq || [];
_tkq.push(['storeContext', {'blog_id':'39587363','blog_tz':'-5','user_lang':'en','blog_lang':'en','user_id':'0'}]);
_stq.push(['view', {'blog':'39587363','v':'wpcom','tz':'-5','user_id':'0','post':'1068790','subd':'qzprod'}]);
function st_vt() {var x=document.createElement("img");x.src="https://pixel.wp.com/g.gif?blog=39587363&v=wpcomvt&tz=-5&user_id=0&post=1068790&subd=qzprod&rand="+Math.random();}
_stq.push(['extra', {'crypt':'UE40eW5QN0p8M2Y/RE1BNmNJfGhxNCVxUDExYmtib2E/SzdEJm0lUEtbdFU0fFk4cHZvcUFrZT90Tn4yQm1+R3NyNTdEfC1rZmVUMy9QNXhLa2dIP0wvZ2RNYSV+S1VzM2gtT0J4Rk5OX11lSGZIeG1uZmYzcGVjYWRjYjVqWk5ENG5NNTRZS3kvNzExZEVjOWUxb2FESTEzSk8zT0hQd3VCJk9nU21EVTRFWDREeWgvSDhzW1cxbGxSXXxLVmZld2kral1SK0VVXWJRb0xnQTgvbEtZMm1RWllJck1Dc2h+fHdXMj80LjFGWXpv'}]);
_stq.push([ 'clickTrackerInit', '39587363', '1068790' ]);
	</script>
<noscript><img src="https://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?v=noscript" style="height:0px;width:0px;overflow:hidden" alt="" /></noscript>
<script>
if ( 'object' === typeof wpcom_mobile_user_agent_info ) {

	wpcom_mobile_user_agent_info.init();
	var mobileStatsQueryString = "";
	
	if( false !== wpcom_mobile_user_agent_info.matchedPlatformName )
		mobileStatsQueryString += "&x_" + 'mobile_platforms' + '=' + wpcom_mobile_user_agent_info.matchedPlatformName;
	
	if( false !== wpcom_mobile_user_agent_info.matchedUserAgentName )
		mobileStatsQueryString += "&x_" + 'mobile_devices' + '=' + wpcom_mobile_user_agent_info.matchedUserAgentName;
	
	if( wpcom_mobile_user_agent_info.isIPad() )
		mobileStatsQueryString += "&x_" + 'ipad_views' + '=' + 'views';

	if( "" != mobileStatsQueryString ) {
		new Image().src = document.location.protocol + '//pixel.wp.com/g.gif?v=wpcom-no-pv' + mobileStatsQueryString + '&baba=' + Math.random();
	}
	
}
</script><script>
	QZ.splitTests = {"test1":{"name":"pc2_see_more_module_2018_02","group":"exposed"}};
	QZ.editions = ["global","india","africa"];
	QZ.geolocation = 'global';
	QZ.bootstrap = {"https:\/\/qz.com\/api\/article\/1068790\/":{"version":3,"header":{"name":"Article","path":"article\/1068790\/","slug":"article","type":"article"},"items":[{"id":1068790,"title":"Floods in Africa in August killed 25 times more people than Hurricane Harvey did","slug":"floods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did","permalink":"https:\/\/qz.com\/1068790\/floods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did\/","date":{"published":"2017-09-04 10:48:16","updated":"2017-09-04 14:45:12","pretty":"September 04, 2017"},"postType":"article","summary":"The rainy season is usually welcomed in parts of Africa as a timely break from the heat of the dry season. But so far, in&hellip;","inlineAds":[],"content":"\n<p>The rainy season is usually welcomed in parts of Africa as a timely break from the heat of the dry season. But so far, in 2017, the rains have given way to flood disasters which have led to a death toll numbering in hundreds.<\/p>\n<p>Like severe floods<a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/1065404\/while-hurricane-harvey-devastates-texas-1200-people-have-died-from-severe-floods-in-india-nepal-and-bangladesh-in-south-asia\/\"> in southern Asia<\/a>, the disasters in Africa have been largely under-reported compared to similar events in Houston where Hurricane Harvey, a once in a &ldquo;500-year storm&rdquo; has<a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/1068571\/incredible-before-and-after-images-of-houston-neighborhoods-hit-by-hurricane-harvey\/\"> wreaked havoc<\/a>. But while the devastation in Houston could have hardly been avoided, many of the recent flood disasters in Africa have been exacerbated by years of poorly planned drainage systems. In another contrast, while rescue and relief operations in Houston have successfully saved countless lives and helped survivors, the same can&rsquo;t be said in parts of Africa that have been badly flooded, worsening the death toll. Across Texas, <a href=\"http:\/\/nypost.com\/2017\/09\/03\/harvey-death-toll-rises-to-50-as-residents-begin-long-recovery\/\">50 people<\/a> have been reported dead due to the tropical storm but across Africa, intense rains and mudslides killed at least 1,240 people in August.<\/p>\n<h2>Freetown, Sierra Leone<\/h2>\n<p>In mid-August, Freetown, Sierra Leone&rsquo;s capital, was rocked by its worst natural disaster in recent times as a devastating mudslide destroyed homes and buried hundreds under the debris. An unofficial death toll suggests <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2017\/08\/sierra-leone-mudslides-kill-1000-170827205358504.html\">more than 1,000 casualties<\/a> as, with hundreds still missing, the possibility of finding any survivors dimmed in the days after the tragedy. Sierra Leone&rsquo;s president Ernest Bai Koroma described the mudslide as overwhelming and called for &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.enca.com\/africa\/sierra-leone-president-appeals-for-urgent-support-for-flood-victims\">urgent support.&rdquo;<\/a>  The mudslide comes only three years after the Ebola outbreak which killed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2015\/aug\/20\/ebola-epidemic-in-sierra-leone-may-be-over-say-health-workers\">nearly 4,000 people.<\/a><\/p>\n<figure id=\"image-1054995\" class=\"progressive-image inline-image  alignnone zoomable size-medium\"><picture style=\"padding-bottom: 75%; background-image: url(https:\/\/qzprod.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/08\/ap_17227646952498.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=50);\"><img src=\"https:\/\/qzprod.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/08\/ap_17227646952498.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=50\" class=\"progressive-image-thumbnail\"><img data-srcset=\"https:\/\/qzprod.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/08\/ap_17227646952498.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=320 320w, https:\/\/qzprod.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/08\/ap_17227646952498.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/qzprod.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/08\/ap_17227646952498.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=940 940w, https:\/\/qzprod.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/08\/ap_17227646952498.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1600 1600w, https:\/\/qzprod.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/08\/ap_17227646952498.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=3200 3200w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/qzprod.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/08\/ap_17227646952498.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 320px, 640px\" class=\"progressive-image-large\" alt=\"Security forces search for bodies from the scene of heavy flooding and mudslides in Regent, just outside of Sierra Leone's capital Freetown, Tuesday, Aug. 15 , 2017. Survivors of deadly mudslides in Sierra Leone's capital are vividly describing the disaster as President Ernest Bai Koroma says the nation is in a &quot;state of grief.&quot;\"><\/picture><figcaption class=\"inline-image-caption\"><i class=\"icon-camera\"><\/i><span class=\"inline-image-credit has-space\"> (AP Photo\/ Manika Kamara)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><p>It&rsquo;s not the first time Freetown&mdash;which records the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indexmundi.com\/facts\/indicators\/AG.LND.PRCP.MM\/rankings\">highest annual rainfall in Africa<\/a>&mdash;has suffered severe flooding. But the coastal city&rsquo;s problems have <a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/1054791\/sierra-leone-mudslide-over-400-people-have-been-killed-and-600-more-remain-missing\/\">been worsened<\/a> by decades of poor waste disposal habits and the government&rsquo;s lack of urban planning. More than half of homes in Freetown are <a href=\"http:\/\/bohr.com.au\/development\/freetowns-housing-situation\/\">defined as slums<\/a> and most are built on hillside outskirts at the cost of rapid deforestation making the mudslide more devastating than it should have been.<\/p>\n<h2>Niamey, Niger<\/h2>\n<p>Last week, thousands of people in Niamey, Niger&rsquo;s capital city, were advised to evacuate their homes following severe flooding. Back in May, the United Nations had warned that <a href=\"http:\/\/reliefweb.int\/report\/niger\/bulletin-humanitaire-niger-mars-avril-2017\">more than 100,000 people<\/a> were at risk of the flooding and so far this year, the death toll has<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-africa-41081108\"> topped 40 people<\/a>. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed forcing stranded residents to take shelter in local schools.<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-twitter\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Unnoticed. As 15 deaths from heavy rains in Houston USA grab world attention, 44 have died so far in Niger from torrential rains. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ea2sNnDb78\">pic.twitter.com\/ea2sNnDb78<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; James Hall (@hallaboutafrica) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hallaboutafrica\/status\/902782131532902400\">August 30, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Ituri, DR Congo<\/h2>\n<p>Over 200 people are believed to have died after a mudslide hit a fishing village in DR Congo&rsquo;s Ituri province in mid-August. At the time, Pacifique Keta, deputy governor of the northeastern province, said rescue operations <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2017\/08\/dr-congo-landslide-death-toll-climbs-200-170819130511762.html\">were &ldquo;complicated&rdquo;<\/a> given the mountainous terrain of the area and the continued adverse weather. Like in Freetown, residents in the area have mushroomed on steep hillsides over the years worsening the effects of floods.<\/p>\n<h2>Benue, Nigeria<\/h2>\n<p>More than 110,000 people have been displaced in Benue, a state in Nigeria&rsquo;s middle belt, over the past week after intense rains. In addition to thousands of homes, local markets and government offices were badly affected by the flood, <a href=\"https:\/\/guardian.ng\/news\/flood-displaces-over-110000-people-in-makurdi\/\">according to the state emergency agency<\/a>. But help has been <a href=\"https:\/\/ynaija.com\/nema-visits-benue-says-relief-materials-arriving-3-days\/?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter\">slow to come<\/a>. While president Muhammadu Buhari says he&rsquo;s received reports of the flood with &ldquo;great concern&rdquo; and has ordered relief efforts, very little has been forthcoming. Collins Uma, a Benue-based writer says most of the relief efforts made available so far are down to the &ldquo;efforts of individuals and groups, not the government.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-twitter\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/MakurdiFlood?src=hash\">#MakurdiFlood<\/a> &hellip;God help us <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KG69CfDNcr\">pic.twitter.com\/KG69CfDNcr<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Peace  Eziuzor (@treaspeace) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/treaspeace\/status\/904395061537988608\">September 3, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>Jidenna, the US-born Grammy-nominated musician with a Nigerian father, has also launched a social media campaign to raise money for victims of the flood.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BYl6FUXDHK5\/\" data-instgrm-version=\"8\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:500px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:8px;\">\n<div style=\" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;\">\n<div style=\" background:url(data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC\/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5\/P8\/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo\/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI\/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf\/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BYl6FUXDHK5\/\" style=\" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;\" target=\"_blank\">While both Freetown and Houston have been enduring, more than 100,000 people have been displaced by flooding in Benue State, Nigeria. Benue is next to the state where I grew up so this really hits home. We need more prayer and more action. Here are a couple ways to donate directly to relief funds via bank account. #BenueRelief | #BenueFlood | #MakurdiFlood |#PrayforBenue<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\">A post shared by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jidenna\/\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;\" target=\"_blank\"> Jidenna<\/a> (@jidenna) on <time style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\" datetime=\"2017-09-03T20:29:08+00:00\">Sep 3, 2017 at 1:29pm PDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The floods in Benue are also not a new event. &ldquo;This happens every year and will likely happen next year, but the government pays lip service to it,&rdquo; Uma tells Quartz. &ldquo;If we had working drainage systems, this would not happen.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/newsletters\/africa-weekly-brief\/\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up for the Quartz Africa Weekly Brief<\/a> &mdash; the most important and interesting news from across the continent, in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n","hero":{"id":1062119,"alt":"Workers are digging graves at the Paloko cemetery in Waterloo, Sierra Leone August 17, 2017.","caption":"Workers digging mass graves.","credit":"Reuters\/Afolabi Sotunde","width":3500,"height":2334,"aspectRatio":1.4995715509854,"url":"https:\/\/qzprod.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/08\/rts1c87n.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=3500","size":"extra-large"},"kicker":"STORMS","seoTitle":"Floods in Africa in August killed 25 times more people than Hurricane Harvey did","facebookDescription":"Floods have hit DR Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Niger.","edition":"africa","taxonomies":{"obsession":[],"tags":[{"name":"benue flood","slug":"benue-flood"},{"name":"Buhari","slug":"buhari"},{"name":"Climate change","slug":"climate-change"},{"name":"DR Congo mudslide","slug":"dr-congo-mudslide"},{"name":"flood in makurdi","slug":"flood-in-makurdi"},{"name":"flood in Niger","slug":"flood-in-niger"},{"name":"houston hurricane","slug":"houston-hurricane"},{"name":"Hurricane Harvey","slug":"hurricane-harvey"},{"name":"hurricane harvey damage","slug":"hurricane-harvey-damage"},{"name":"hurricane harvey relief","slug":"hurricane-harvey-relief"},{"name":"makurdi flood","slug":"makurdi-flood"},{"name":"NEMA Benue","slug":"nema-benue"},{"name":"NEMA Makurdi","slug":"nema-makurdi"},{"name":"Niger flood","slug":"niger-flood"},{"name":"President Muhammadu Buhari","slug":"president-muhammadu-buhari"},{"name":"SEMA Benue","slug":"sema-benue"},{"name":"SEMA Makurdi","slug":"sema-makurdi"},{"name":"sierra leone death toll","slug":"sierra-leone-death-toll"},{"name":"Sierra Leone mudslide","slug":"sierra-leone-mudslide"}],"qz_series":[],"topic":[{"name":"Politics and policy","slug":"politics-and-policy"}]},"byline":{"authors":[{"name":"Yomi Kazeem","username":"ykazeem","url":"https:\/\/qz.com\/author\/ykazeem\/","twitter":"TheYomiKazeem"}],"type":"author","label":"Written by"},"share":{"twitter":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790&text=Floods%20in%20Africa%20in%20August%20killed%2025%20times%20more%20people%20than%20Hurricane%20Harvey%20did&via=qzafrica","facebook":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790%2Ffloods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did%2F&caption=qz.com%20%7C%20By%20Yomi%20Kazeem","linkedin":"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790%2Ffloods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did%2F&title=Floods%20in%20Africa%20in%20August%20killed%2025%20times%20more%20people%20than%20Hurricane%20Harvey%20did&summary=The%20rainy%20season%20is%20usually%20welcomed%20in%20parts%20of%20Africa%20as%20a%20timely%20break%20from%20the%20heat%20of%20the%20dry%20season.%20But%20so%20far%2C%20in%E2%80%A6&source=Quartz","email":"mailto:?subject=Quartz%3A%20Floods%20in%20Africa%20in%20August%20killed%2025%20times%20more%20people%20than%20Hurricane%20Harvey%20did&body=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790%2Ffloods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did%2F%0A%0AThe%20rainy%20season%20is%20usually%20welcomed%20in%20parts%20of%20Africa%20as%20a%20timely%20break%20from%20the%20heat%20of%20the%20dry%20season.%20But%20so%20far%2C%20in%E2%80%A6%0A%0ASign%20up%20for%20the%20Quartz%20Daily%20Brief%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2Fquartzdailybrief.","whatsapp":"whatsapp:\/\/send?text=Floods%20in%20Africa%20in%20August%20killed%2025%20times%20more%20people%20than%20Hurricane%20Harvey%20did%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1068790%2Ffloods-in-africa-in-august-killed-25-times-more-people-than-hurricane-harvey-did%2F"},"peer39":[9389,9390,9545,9357]}]}};
	QZ.preview = 0;
	QZ.bulletinPosition = 2;
	QZ.inlinePreview = false;
</script>

<script data-main="https://app.qz.com/dist/4.0.1124/js/app" src="https://app.qz.com/js/libs/require.min.js"></script>
<script>
	// DFP
	(function() {
		var gads = document.createElement("script");
		gads.async = true;
		gads.type = "text/javascript";
		gads.src = "https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js";
		var node =document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];
		node.parentNode.insertBefore(gads, node);
	})();

	// Chartbeat
	var _sf_async_config = {
				uid: 55570
	};
	(function(){
		function loadChartbeat() {
			window._sf_endpt=(new Date()).getTime();
			var e = document.createElement('script');
			e.setAttribute('src', 'https://a248.e.akamai.net/chartbeat.download.akamai.com/102508/js/chartbeat.js');
			document.body.appendChild(e);
		}
		var oldonload = window.onload;
		window.onload = (typeof window.onload != 'function') ?
		loadChartbeat : function() { oldonload(); loadChartbeat(); };
	})();

	// Bizo
	var _bizo_data_partner_id = "1016";
	(function(){
		var b,a,u;a=document.createElement("script");
		a.type="text/javascript"; a.async=true;
		u="https://sjs.bizographics.com/insight.min.js";
		a.src=u; b=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];
		return b.parentNode.insertBefore(a,b);
	})();

	// Comscore
	var _comscore = _comscore || [];
	_comscore.push({ c1: "2", c2: "6463921" });
	(function() {
		var s = document.createElement("script"), el = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];
		s.async = true;
		s.src = "https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js";
		el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el);
	})();

	// Facebook
	!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){
		if(f.fbq) return;
		n=f.fbq=function(){
			n.callMethod?n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)
		};
		if(!f._fbq) f._fbq=n;
		n.push=n; n.loaded=!0;
		n.version='2.0';
		n.queue=[];
		t=b.createElement(e); t.async=!0;
		t.src=v; s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];
		s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)
	}(window, document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');

	fbq('init', '1416115438681460'); 
	fbq('trackCustom', 'PixelInitialized', {}); 

	
</script>
<noscript>
	<!--	comScore	-->
	<img src="https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=6463921&c3=&c4=&c5=&c6=&c15=&cj=1" />
	<!--	Facebook	-->
	<img height="1" width="1" alt="" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=1416115438681460&ev=PixelInitialized" />
</noscript>

<!-- Parse.ly -->
<!-- START Parse.ly Include: Standard -->
<div id="parsely-root" style="display: none">
	<div id="parsely-cfg" data-parsely-site="qz.com"></div>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
(function(s, p, d) {
	var i=p+"-"+s,
			e=d.getElementById(i), r=d.getElementById(p+"-root"),
			u="https://d1z2jf7jlzjs58.cloudfront.net/p.js";
	if (e) return;
	e = d.createElement(s); e.id = i; e.async = true;
	e.src = u; r.appendChild(e);
})("script", "parsely", document);
</script>
<!-- END Parse.ly Include -->
<div style="display:none">
	<!-- Lotame -->
	<img src="https://bcp.crwdcntrl.net/5/c=4861/b=35885723" />
	<!-- Sonobi -->
	<img src="https://xcp.go.sonobi.com/px.gif?pxid=04c9085bedf9ad0e7d85" />
</div>
</body>
</html>
<!--
	generated in 0.360 seconds
	62862 bytes batcached for 300 seconds
-->
