Accra: A more than three-hour torrential downpour on Friday evening turned streets around Christ the King Academy in Cape Coast into rivers, flooding more than 50 homes and two churches. There were no fatalities, but chilling accounts were given of how elderly and immobile residents were carried on backs through waist-level, debris-streaked floods, to safety.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Emmanuel Kwesi Dawood, the Central Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), stated that seriously affected victims were putting up with friends and relatives and some in NADMO Safe Havens. He informed that the flooding occurred around 21:00 hours and lauded the Regional NADMO Rapid Response Team for their timely intervention to save lives.
Mr. Dawood provided safety advice to residents living in low-lying and flood-prone areas, urging them to move valuables and important documents to higher grounds. Residents were advised to avoid walking or driving through floodwaters, keep children and the elderly away from flooded areas, and use bottled or boiled water for drinking until clear water supplies are restored.
He warned residents to switch off electricity at the main switch when floodwater enters homes and to report trapped or injured people to NADMO or local authorities without delay. He mentioned that NADMO's assessments were ongoing to determine the full extent of damage and the needs of affected households.
Mr. Dawood assured residents of NADMO's support, stating that the organisation would provide immediate relief and coordinate further assistance for those displaced by the flooding. He called on corporate bodies, institutions, and philanthropists to support the victims with relief items, shelter materials, and medical assistance, emphasizing that collaborative efforts would help speed recovery for affected families.