Gambia River: Severe flooding in Kédougou, orange alert issued

The Gambia River continues to rise in Kédougou. In 24 hours, the water level jumped 65 centimeters, reaching 6.57 meters at 8:00 AM on October 6, 2026. The station is now under an orange alert.

The hydrological situation is becoming worrying in the Kédougou region. According to the daily hydrological bulletin of the Gambia River, the water level at the Kédougou station rose from 5.92 m on October 5 to 6.57 m this Tuesday, October 6 at 8 a.m., a dramatic increase of 65 cm in just 24 hours.

With the alert level set at 7 meters, the current water level is now only 43 cm below the critical threshold. Hydrological services have therefore issued an orange alert, urging the public to exercise extreme caution.

Another indicator that is noteworthy: compared to the same period in 2025, the level of the Gambia River at Kédougou is 2.59 m higher. On October 6, 2025, it was at 4.98 m, compared to 6.57 m this year.

A widespread increase across the network

The rising water levels are not limited to Kédougou. All stations monitored in the bulletin show an upward trend.

At Mako, the water level rose from 4.55 to 4.78 meters, an increase of 23 centimeters. At Simenti, it reached 10.08 meters after a rise of 64 centimeters. Gouloumbou recorded a more moderate increase of 8 centimeters, reaching 10.18 meters.

The rise is also significant in Diaguiri, where the water level has increased from 4.35 to 5.14 meters, a rise of 79 cm in 24 hours. The alert level there is set at 6 meters.

On the tributaries, the trend is just as pronounced. Thiokoye reached 6.68 m after a rise of 68 cm, while Niokolokoba reached 7 meters, an increase of 51 cm. But it is at Diarha Pont that the rise is most dramatic: the level went from 3.05 to 4.12 m, an increase of 1.07 m in 24 hours. The summary table in the bulletin confirms an upward trend across all the monitored stations.

Faced with this rapid rise in water levels, particularly in Kédougou where the level is dangerously close to the alert level, vigilance is essential in riverside areas and sectors potentially exposed to flooding.