Expect More Dangerous Rains

Residents in Ghana should prepare for heavier-than-usual rainfall during this year’s rainy season, and potential flash floods, head of the Central Analysis and Forecasting Office at the Ghana Meteorological Agency, Felicity Ahafianyo has served notice.

Felicity Ahafianyo said, this year’s rains are expected to be intense and prolonged, with a high possibility of flooding in low-lying areas.

She made the comments in a response to questions on the heavy downpour, that submerged some neighborhoods in Accra, Kumasi, and other parts of the country on Sunday evening,

According to Felicity Ahafianyo, the Agency’s climate models are showing an “above-normal rainfall pattern,” largely influenced by changing global weather conditions.

“We are getting to the peak of the rainy season, we are yet to enter into it, so by the close of next week into the first week of June, or towards the end, we are likely to be getting more of these rains. And definitely, there will be flash floods here and there” she made it known in an interview on Joy FM.

She further cautioned, “If you are around flood-prone areas, we need to relocate and listen to the officers that have been assigned to us. If our gutters are choked, let us try as much as possible to do communal labour to desilt the gutters. And let us also keep ourselves tuned to GMet’s social media handles for weather updates.”

Meanwhile, the Ghana Hydrological Authority has attributed Sunday’s flooding in parts of the capital to illegal structures on waterways and wetlands.

According to Richard Amekor, the Director of Drains at the Authority, their assessment revealed that unapproved construction works blocked natural drainage paths, worsening the impact of Sunday’s heavy rains.

“What we picked out on the ground has to do with a lot of illegal buildings on our waterways. People have built on the wetlands and encroached on our water bodies. These are the major things we gathered on the ground today after yesterday’s heavy rains, which caused flooding in some parts of Accra,” he said.

As the nation gets ready for the height of the rainy season, Mr. Amekor emphasized the urgency with which the problem must be resolved. He emphasized President John Mahama’s prior remarks regarding the necessity of demolishing any buildings that impede drainage infrastructure.

“If you could recall, the President in his speech said that those people living close to our drains, their structures are going to be pulled down to allow water to flow when it rains. They need to leave those places; they are not supposed to be there.

“For example, in Weija, people are building in the estuary, which is wrong. If they are there and it rains, where will the water go? It will go into their homes, and this is the challenge we are having. So what I am saying is that it is about time we control our development”.

Sunday Rain Casualties

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Adentan Municipal Assembly, Ella Esiman Nongo confirmed that three people died following the Sunday heavy rains, which affected different communities within the municipality, including Lakeside, Nanakrom, and New Legon.

“In Lakeside, we lost two people, including a four-year-old girl at Nanakrom, and a gentleman around New Legon, because people are building on waterways, there is no exit route for the water when it rains. That’s one of the main challenges we’re facing.

She warned that, “if we don’t tackle the indiscipline in our building practices and enforce the rules, these tragedies will keep recurring”.

Deputy Director-General for Protocol and Relief at NADMO, Mr. Samuel Aboagye, also confirmed that, more than 3,000 people were displaced after the rains during an interview on 3FM morning show.

“Over 3,000 residents have been displaced, with four deaths recorded so far — one from Abokobi and three from Adenta — following Sunday’s downpour” he said.

Affected areas included Weija, Kaneshie, Adabraka, Adentan-Dodowa, Oyarifa, and parts of Tema. Roads were submerged, vehicles were stranded, and some homes were damaged or flooded.