# Floods in Somalia, 2007 to 2024: every flood on the UN record > Every flood in Somalia recorded by the UN from 2007 to 2024, year by year: where it struck, how many were affected, displaced and killed, with Beledweyne's repeated floods. Source page: https://calankii.com/en/society/floods-in-somalia-2007-2024/ Last checked: 2026-11-13 Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com) ## In short Somalia has two rivers, the [Shabelle](/en/economy/farming-and-harvests/) and the Juba. Both rise in the Ethiopian highlands, so rain there can flood Somalia even when it is dry locally ([ReliefWeb, Somalia floods, October 2019](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2019-000133-som); FAO, 18 October 2019). Flash floods also hit towns and the camps of displaced people, where shelters stand on low ground ([ReliefWeb, Somalia flash floods, April 2018](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/ff-2018-000041-som); OCHA, 2018). Each entry below comes from the ReliefWeb record for that event, which gathers dated UN, Red Cross and NGO reports. The largest flood on record, in late 2023, has its own page: [the 2023 Deyr floods](/en/society/floods-2023-deyr/). The rainy seasons are explained on [rain, drought and floods in Somalia](/en/society/rain-drought-and-floods/). ## Year by year | Season | Main areas | Affected | Displaced | Deaths | ReliefWeb record | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Aug–Nov 2007 | Part of floods across 18 African countries | not given for Somalia | | | [FL-2007-000161-UGA](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2007-000161-uga) | | Mar–Jun 2010 | Gebiley, Hiiraan, Juba, Shabelle, Puntland coast | | about 3,000 households (May) | | [FL-2010-000041-SOM](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2010-000041-som) | | Oct–Dec 2011 | Southern Somalia, Juba river | | 1,000 households | | [FL-2011-000161-SOM](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2011-000161-som) | | 27–28 Sep 2012 | Beledweyne | | 20,000 | 25 | [FL-2012-000173-SOM](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2012-000173-som) | | Apr 2013 | Wanlaweyn, Xudun, Dharoor valley, Cabudwaaq | thousands | thousands | | [FL-2013-000052-SOM](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2013-000052-som) | | Aug–Nov 2013 | Jowhar and Balcad | | 7,000 to 11,000 households | | [FL-2013-000141-SOM](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2013-000141-som) | | Oct 2014 | Beledweyne, Middle Shabelle, Dolow, Jilib, Jamaame | | about 2,500 in Beledweyne | | [FL-2014-000150-SOM](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2014-000150-som) | | Apr–May 2015 | Lower and Middle Shabelle, Galkacyo | | 16,000 | | [FL-2015-000040-SOM](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2015-000040-som) | | Oct–Dec 2015 | Bakool, Bay, Juba, Middle Shabelle | over 90,000 | about 42,000 | | [FL-2015-000145-SOM](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2015-000145-som) | | May–Jun 2016 | Beledweyne | 70,000 | over 70,000 | | [FL-2016-000046-SOM](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2016-000046-som) | | Apr–May 2018 | Hirshabelle, South West, Jubaland, Banadir | about 830,000 | nearly 290,000 | | [FF-2018-000041-SOM](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/ff-2018-000041-som) | | Oct–Dec 2019 | Beledweyne, Juba, Bay, Shabelle | 547,000 | 370,000 | at least 17 | [FL-2019-000133-SOM](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2019-000133-som) | | Apr–May 2020 | 29 districts, worst Beledweyne and Jowhar | about 919,000 | 412,000 | 24 | [FF-2020-000055-SOM](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/ff-2020-000055-som) | | Jun–Nov 2020 | Lower and Middle Shabelle, Banadir, Sanaag | over 555,000 | about 363,000 | | [FF-2020-000221-SOM](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/ff-2020-000221-som) | | May 2021 | Banadir, Jowhar, Doolow, Puntland | at least 166,000 | | at least 25 | [FL-2021-000051-SOM](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2021-000051-som) | | Mar 2023 | Baardheere, Luuq, Doolow, Bay | nearly 100,000 | | 21 in Baardheere | [FF-2023-000044-SOM](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/ff-2023-000044-som) | | Oct–Dec 2023 | About half of all districts | 2.48 million | over 1.2 million | 188 | [the 2023 Deyr floods](/en/society/floods-2023-deyr/) | | Apr–May 2024 | Jubaland, Hirshabelle, South West, Somaliland | 225,759 | 38,727 | 9 | [FL-2024-000055-SOM](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2024-000055-som) | Blank cells mean the record gives no figure. Figures are the latest in each record; early counts were often lower. ## Beledweyne [Beledweyne](/en/regions/hiiraan/), on the Shabelle in Hiiraan, appears in more flood records than any other town. - **2012.** The Shabelle overflowed at night on 27–28 September, killing 25 people, displacing 20,000 and drowning over 5,000 livestock (OCHA, 8 October 2012). - **2016.** Over 70,000 people displaced, 36,000 of them to Ceel Jaale (OCHA, 7 June 2016). - **2019.** About 45,500 households (273,000 people) fled their homes in Beledweyne district (OCHA, 6 November 2019). - **2020.** The Shabelle burst its banks on 12 May and flooded **85% of the town** and 25 villages. About 240,000 people were displaced between 12 and 18 May (OCHA, 19 May 2020). - **2023.** About 250,000 people, 90% of the town, were forced out (see [the 2023 Deyr floods](/en/society/floods-2023-deyr/)). ## The big floods in detail - **2018 Gu.** Above-average April rains came after the 2017 drought. In Baidoa, half of more than 246,000 displaced people were at risk of flash floods. By mid-May about 830,000 people had been affected (OCHA, April and May 2018). - **2019 [Deyr](/en/economy/pastoralism-in-somalia/).** The rains flooded 207,000 hectares of land along the Shabelle and Juba. On 23 November the UN and government launched a three-month US$72.5 million flood response plan (OCHA, 5 December 2019). - **2020.** Floods came in both seasons, during [COVID-19](/en/society/covid-19-in-somalia/) and the [desert locust upsurge](/en/society/desert-locusts-2019-2021/) (OCHA, 24 April and 22 November 2020). - **2021.** Nine children died when their house flooded in Banadir on 7 May. Drought had been declared on 25 April, so OCHA called it "a double climate disaster" (OCHA, 9 and 17 May 2021). - **2024 Gu.** Floods destroyed 3,367 shelters, 5,002 latrines, 29 water points and 7 schools by mid-May (OCHA, 19 May 2024). ## Sources All from ReliefWeb (UN OCHA), each record quoting dated reports from OCHA, FAO [SWALIM](/en/institutions/fao-somalia/), ECHO, ACAPS, IFRC and UNHCR PRMN: - [East Africa: Floods – Aug 2007](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2007-000161-uga) - [Somalia: Floods – Mar 2010](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2010-000041-som) - [Somalia: Floods – Oct 2011](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2011-000161-som) - [Somalia: Floods – Sep 2012](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2012-000173-som) - [Somalia: Floods – Apr 2013](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2013-000052-som) and [Nov 2013](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2013-000141-som) - [Somalia: Floods – Oct 2014](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2014-000150-som) - [Somalia: Floods – Apr 2015](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2015-000040-som) and [Oct 2015](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2015-000145-som) - [Somalia: Floods – May 2016](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2016-000046-som) - [Somalia: Flash Floods – Apr 2018](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/ff-2018-000041-som) - [Somalia: Floods – Oct 2019](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2019-000133-som) - [Somalia: Flash Floods – Apr 2020](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/ff-2020-000055-som) and [Oct 2020](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/ff-2020-000221-som) - [Somalia: Floods – May 2021](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2021-000051-som) - [Somalia: Floods – Mar 2023](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/ff-2023-000044-som) - [Somalia: Floods – Apr 2024](https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2024-000055-som) --- I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.