Accra and Abidjan Underwater: Deadly Floods and Landslides Displace Hundreds as Torrential Rain Persues
Days of relentless downpours have plunged Ghana’s capital, Accra, and parts of the Ivory Coast into chaos, triggering catastrophic floods, landslides, and widespread destruction. The extreme weather has claimed at least 32 lives—12 in Ghana and an estimated 20 in the Ivory Coast—while hundreds more have been rescued from submerged homes and stranded communities. Emergency services are still battling to locate missing persons, with authorities warning that the death toll could rise as rescue operations continue.
Ghana: A City Underwater as Floodwaters Rise
In Ghana, the Greater Accra Region bore the brunt of the disaster, with torrential rains beginning on Monday and intensifying overnight. By Tuesday, the situation had escalated into a full-blown humanitarian crisis, forcing authorities to mobilise rescue teams across the board.
The National Fire Service confirmed that 12 people had died as of midday Tuesday, with several others still unaccounted for. Rescue crews, including firefighters and disaster response teams, worked tirelessly through the night, pumping water from flooded homes and extracting stranded residents. Greater Accra Regional Fire Commander Rashid Kwame Nisawu reported that over 400 people had been rescued by the end of the day, but the scale of the flooding left many communities isolated.
Mariam Dongyela Millah, Deputy Director of Communications at the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), described the devastation as “alarming”, stating that emergency calls began flooding in early morning as floodwaters breached homes and businesses. “The whole place was flooded,” she told local media, highlighting the rapid escalation of the crisis.
The flooding was not isolated to urban areas—roads became impassable, power supplies were disrupted, and entire neighbourhoods were submerged. The National Meteorological Service had previously issued warnings of heavy rainfall, but the unprecedented volume—approximately 140 millimetres in Accra alone—far exceeded historical records. For comparison, the highest single-day rainfall recorded in the region last year was 56 millimetres, according to President John Mahama, who acknowledged the severity of the situation.
Ivory Coast: Heavy Rainfall Claims Lives and Displaces Thousands
Across the border in the Ivory Coast, the same weather pattern caused severe flooding and landslides, particularly in the Abidjan region, where the downpour began on Saturday. While official death tolls remain unclear, a source close to firefighters and the Interior Ministry told Reuters that at least 20 people had died due to the floods and related incidents.
Like in Ghana, the Ivory Coast’s emergency services were stretched thin as rescue operations unfolded. Roads collapsed, homes were washed away, and entire communities faced displacement. The Ivory Coast’s National Disaster Management Agency (ANDMA) reported that multiple landslides had occurred in mountainous areas, trapping residents and cutting off access to vital supplies.
Government Response and Criticism Amid the Crisis
In Ghana, Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak admitted in a television interview that the government’s response to the flooding had been insufficient, particularly in the face of criticism from the main opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The NPP had accused the government of poor preparedness and slow action, calling for immediate measures to address the crisis.
President Mahama, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), acknowledged that the climatic conditions driving the extreme rainfall were beyond government control, but he also highlighted human factors contributing to the disaster. “Human behaviour,” he stated, “such as illegal structures blocking waterways” had exacerbated the flooding. He pledged to enforce stricter regulations to prevent future blockages and improve drainage systems.
The National Meteorological Agency has since warned of further heavy rainfall this week, urging residents in Accra and surrounding areas to take precautions, including avoiding low-lying areas and securing loose items that could become projectiles in high winds.
A Climate Crisis Unfolding
The recent floods are part of a growing pattern of extreme weather events affecting West Africa, with increasing frequency and intensity of rainfall linked to climate change. Experts warn that without urgent mitigation measures, such disasters could become more common, displacing thousands and causing economic losses in the region.
As rescue efforts continue, international aid organisations have called for immediate support to assist affected communities, including food, shelter, and medical supplies. The United Nations has also expressed concern, urging governments to strengthen early warning systems and disaster preparedness to minimise future casualties.
For now, the people of Accra and Abidjan remain on high alert, as the skies continue to unleash their fury, leaving behind a trail of destruction, grief, and unanswered questions about how to prevent such tragedies in the future.