CRITICAL CRISIS: 12 Dead, Over 38,000 Displaced Following Devastating Floods in Southern Ghana

ACCRA, GHANA — A massive climate emergency has gripped southern Ghana following a relentless downpour that began late Sunday night, triggering catastrophic flooding across the Greater Accra, Central, and Western regions.

The severe weather has claimed at least 12 lives, left seven people missing, and displaced more than 38,800 residents from over 7,700 households.

Capital City Underwater

In the Greater Accra Region, the capital became the epicenter of the destruction. The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMeT) reported that the downpour dumped a staggering 169.2 millimeters of rain on the capital—marking the highest historical volume of rainfall the country has ever recorded within a single month.

Key economic hubs and transit choke points were completely inundated, including:

  • Kwame Nkrumah Circle

  • Kaneshie Market

  • Alajo, Achimota, and Shiashie

  • Mallam and Kasoa

The severe flooding turned major roads into raging rivers, trapping commuters, submerging vehicles, and completely paralyzing economic activity. In a tragic secondary disaster, a massive fire broke out at a rubber factory in Accra, stretching emergency responders to their absolute limits as they fought flames amidst deep floodwaters.

Heavy Casualties and Destruction

Briefing Parliament on the crisis, the Minister for the Interior confirmed that casualties include a man in his 60s who drowned in Alajo, and a mother and her child who lost their lives in Achimota Alogboshie.

Beyond the capital, the Central Region suffered massive structural damage, with at least 58 houses completely collapsing under hydraulic pressure. Major arterial roads, including sections of the critical N1 highway corridor, were washed away or rendered entirely impassable. Meanwhile, the Western Region faced severe logistical disruptions as localized rain cells saturated industrial zones and shut down local businesses.

"The whole place was flooded. It's alarming."

— Mariam Dongyela Millah, Deputy Director of Communications, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO)


State Response and Relief Efforts

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the Ghana Red Cross, and the military have deployed rescue boats across the affected zones, successfully evacuating over 400 stranded residents.

President John Mahama has ordered the immediate release of GH¢350 million from the Contingency Fund to finance urgent relief efforts and flood mitigation operations.

While government officials pointed to changing, unpredictable climatic conditions as the trigger, structural engineers and urban policy experts argue that decades of poor land-use planning, weak enforcement, and building on wetlands have turned manageable seasonal rains into human-induced disasters.

With the Ghana Meteorological Agency warning that more rains are expected, residents in low-lying areas are strongly urged to seek higher ground and avoid unnecessary travel.