Linking remote sensing data and online engagement in flood events in Nigeria

In October 2022, flood events occurred in Nigeria. In this study, we examine whether the online attention received by flood-affected states in Nigeria is correlated with the physical impact of the floods in these states. We measure the online attention using data gathered from Twitter and Google and relate it to the flood impact on settlements derived from remote sensing data on flood extent, settlements, and population. We find that at the level of states, online attention and the flood impact on settlements are not correlated. It is likely that other factors, such as the distribution of social media users or habituation towards extreme events, influence online attention to a similar or higher degree than the physical impact of floods on settlements.