Interior Minister Hon. Mubarak Muntaka Mohammed has informed Parliament that the devastating floods that swept across Greater Accra have displaced 38,822 people from 7,761 households, claimed 12 lives, and left seven people missing as rescue and relief operations continue across the capital.
Presenting a detailed account of the disaster to the House, the Minister described the flooding as one of the most severe weather events to hit the capital in recent decades.
He said the torrential rains, which inundated communities across the metropolis, produced the fourth highest daily rainfall recorded in Ghana since 1995, overwhelming drainage systems and disrupting economic and social activities.
Mr. Muntaka said the Ghana Meteorological Agency had earlier warned government institutions to expect increased rainfall during June and July, allowing emergency agencies to prepare for the rainy season. However, he explained that the intensity of Monday’s rainfall exceeded initial expectations.
“Mr. Speaker, the flood that affected the Greater Accra was something that, yes, the Ghana Meteorological Agency drew our attention and told us that we should expect more rain this June and July”.
Interior Minister Hon. Mubarak Muntaka Mohammed
He explained that the Meteorological Agency routinely provides weather forecasts every six hours to assist state institutions in planning emergency responses.
According to him, government officials received updated information around midnight before the rains indicating that the downpour was likely to be heavier than originally projected, although the exact volume of rainfall could not be determined at that stage.
“Mr. Speaker, what happened yesterday came to our attention only around midnight of the day before yesterday, that yes, the rains as they predicted will be coming, but they are expecting that it to be a little heavier than they expected. So even at that time they could not really tell us about the quantum of water we should expect”.
Interior Minister Hon. Mubarak Muntaka Mohammed
Historic Rainfall Leaves Accra Under Water
By Tuesday morning, authorities confirmed that Accra had received 169 millimetres of rainfall within a single day, placing the event among the most significant rainfall episodes recorded in the country over the past three decades.
“By the time we got to the morning we saw a volume that is the fourth highest that this country has ever seen since 1995. A volume of 169 mm of water in a day”.
Interior Minister Hon. Mubarak Muntaka Mohammed
He said the enormous volume of water flooded almost every part of the capital, leaving major roads impassable and severely affecting movement into the Central Business District.
The flooding disrupted transportation, stranded commuters, and forced thousands of residents to flee their homes as water levels continued to rise in several communities.
Eighteen Assemblies and Twenty Five Communities Affected
The Interior Minister told Parliament that 25 communities spread across 18 metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies suffered significant damage during the floods.
The affected assemblies include Ga East, Ledzokuku, Ayawaso Central, Ga Central, Ga West, Ablekuma North, Ningo Prampram, Okaikwei South, Okaikwei North, Tema West, Tema Metropolitan Assembly, La Dade Kotopon, Krowor, Weija Gbawe, Ga South, Adentan, Ablekuma West, and Ashaiman.
He said emergency teams immediately began assessing conditions in the affected areas while coordinating rescue operations and providing relief to displaced residents.
Thousands Forced From Their Homes
Mr. Muntaka presented district by district figures to illustrate the scale of the disaster. Ga East recorded 2,000 displaced persons from 400 households. The municipality also reported six missing persons and five deaths, making it the worst affected area in terms of fatalities.
Ledzokuku recorded 1,200 displaced persons from 240 households and one death. Ayawaso Central registered 3,021 displaced persons from 605 households, with one person missing and three deaths.
Ga Central recorded 811 displaced persons from 363 households without any deaths or missing persons. Ga West also reported no deaths or missing persons, although hundreds of households were affected.
Ablekuma North recorded 651 displaced persons from 131 households, while Ningo Prampram reported 377 displaced persons from 276 households. Weija Gbawe registered 2,500 displaced persons from 500 households, with Ga South recording the same number of displaced persons from 420 households.
Adentan reported 1,850 displaced persons from 370 households. La Dade Kotopon recorded the highest number of displaced residents, with 6,500 people from 1,300 households forced from their homes.
Okaikwei South reported 701 displaced persons from 141 households, while Okaikwei North recorded 2,620 displaced persons from 524 households. Tema West registered 3,450 displaced persons from 690 households and recorded three deaths.
The Tema Metropolitan Assembly reported 3,610 displaced persons from 721 households. Ashaiman recorded 2,020 displaced persons from 404 households. Krowor registered 1,100 displaced persons from 220 households and did not record any fatalities.
Death Toll Rises to Twelve
Summarising the national figures, the Interior Minister said the floods displaced 38,822 people from a total of 7,761 households across Greater Accra. He added that seven people remained missing as of Tuesday morning, although rescue operations were still ongoing and the figures could change.
“When you put all these numbers together, we have a total of 7,761 households that were displaced with 38,822 individuals affected with seven persons still missing as at this morning”.
Interior Minister Hon. Mubarak Muntaka Mohammed
Mr. Muntaka explained that he had spent the previous three hours attending the Finance Committee and had not yet received updated operational reports before addressing the House.
Government Extends Condolences
Mr. Muntaka expressed the condolences of President John Dramani Mahama, the government, and the people of Ghana to families who had lost relatives in the disaster.
He acknowledged the hardship facing thousands of flood victims, noting that many residents had been forced out of their homes and were unable to return because of the destruction caused by the rising waters.
“We know many people could not be in their homes and even sleep in their homes but government is doing whatever it can,” the Minister assured Parliament.
His statement came as emergency response agencies continued search and rescue operations, assessed damage across affected communities, and provided relief to displaced residents.
Government officials are expected to continue monitoring the situation while supporting recovery efforts in the flood ravaged areas of Greater Accra.
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