Niamey residents race to protect homes against floods Residents in Niamey are building dams out of sandbags hoping to divert flood water after the Niger Basin Authority issued a warning Saturday of possible flooding in Benin and Nigeria, two countries downstream on the river, which is currently flooding in Niger. The NBA issued its second-highest alert level of orange, warning that further flooding is highly likely following months of heavy rain in Niger and Mali. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES