Several streets on Lagos Island came to a standstill on Wednesday afternoon as flash flooding caused by a two-hour downpour inundated low-lying roads, shop floors, and vehicle parks across key commercial districts. Streets in the Broad Street and Marina areas were among those worst affected, with some sections seeing water reaching the bonnets of parked vehicles. Traders hurriedly moved goods off the floor but many suffered losses as water entered premises quickly. Office workers were stranded in buildings as exit routes became impassable. The flooding, which residents say occurs almost every rainy season at the same locations, has been blamed on an outdated and overwhelmed drainage system that has not been comprehensively upgraded in decades. Environmental engineers who have assessed the island’s drainage have previously noted that the system was designed for a far smaller population and volume of impermeable surfaces than currently exist.