Flood disaster profile of Ghana since 1968

Source: Daily Graphic Ghana

July 4, 1968

Accra records heaviest rainfall in 9 years

Accra registered a record rainfall of five inches in the last nine years.

A spokesman for the Meteorological Services said the heaviest rain ever recorded in the city fell in June 1959, when a volume of 7.56 inches was 

registered. The rain nearly brought normal life in the city to a standstill, with offices and shops closed and schoolchildren taking a French leave.

June 29, 1971

Houses collapse in the Twin-City

The twin-city of Sekondi-Takoradi saw one of the worst floods in Ghana in recent years following a downpour which started at night. Several hundreds of dwelling houses collapsed, rendering thousands of people homeless.

July 5, 1995

Flood havoc

Rains which started at midnight caused flooding by morning in low areas of the Accra metropolis. The flood not only affected commuters and vehicles but also the Achimota VRA substation, resulting in power cuts.

June 13, 1997

Accra floods

Hours of intermittent downpour for two days in Accra caused floods which threatened to cut communication in various parts of the city. Some roads in the metropolis were affected, making it difficult for motorists to ply them.

Major rivers such as the Odaw and Onyasia appeared on the brink of breaking their banks, forcing some residents to desert their homes for higher and safer grounds.

The water in these rivers rose steadily when the rain started about 3 p.m., raising fears of a possible flood disaster as happened on July 4, 1995 and claimed lives and property.

In 1999

In 1999, floods swept through the Upper West the Upper East and the Northern regions, as well as the northern parts of the Brong Ahafo and the Volta regions.

Three hundred thousand people were affected.

June 28, 2001

Floods Again

It is the worst in Accra since July 4, 1995

An early morning downpour submerged portions of the city, with many houses and structures at Madina, Achimota, Dzorwulu, Avenor, Santa Maria and Adabraka Official Town being affected. Residents of the affected areas who were trapped by the flood waters had to climb to safety on trees and rooftops until they were rescued or the flood waters subsided.

In 2007

In 2007, floods hit the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions. Three hundred and seven thousand, one hundred and twenty-seven people were affected.

May 5, 2010

Rains cause havoc

In Central Accra, Ofankor and Begoro The country’s capital city’s vulnerability to floods manifested when parts of the city and its streets were deeply submerged in water after two hours of stormy rains.

June 22, 2010

Nation’s worst flood disaster

Death toll 35 Thirty-five bodies were retrieved from flood waters across the country by volunteers and rescue workers who described the havoc after the rains as the worst flood disaster in Ghana’s recent history.

June 24, 2010

Swedru cut off by floods

Three bridges connecting the Agona Swedru municipality to neighbouring communities collapsed as a result of the flooding.

June 26, 2010

NADMO registers 3,000 flood victims in Agona Swedru

At least 3,000 people were registered by officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) as victims of floods in the Agona West municipality in the Central Region.

October 14, 2010

Floods displace 161,000 nationwide

One hundred and sixty-one thousand people were displaced across the country as a result of flooding during torrential rains and the opening of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso.

October 18, 2010

Floods submerge 55 communities

Fifty-five communities in the Central Gonja District in the Northern Region, including parts of the district capital, Buipe, were submerged by flood waters following the overflow of the Volta Lake.

November 2, 2010

Floods cause havoc in Afram Plains

Two thousand and eight hundred people in 120 villages and towns along the Volta Lake in the Kwahu East, Kwahu South and Kwahu North districts in the Eastern Region were rendered homeless by floods.

The floods also destroyed 850 buildings, farms, markets and roads.

February 24, 2011

Heavy rains cause havoc in Accra

A downpour wreaked extensive havoc on property in most parts of Accra and some of its surrounding communities.

The property of residents of areas such as Adabraka, Kisseman, Alajo Junction, A-Lang at Santa Maria, Oyarifa, Haatso, Adenta and the Tema Timber Market were either submerged or washed away.

According to an official of the Meteorological Services Agency, Ms Felicity Ahasianyo, the rainfall, which began from 9.30 p.m. to almost 3 a.m., measured 71.5 mm, which she described as quite heavy.

July 20, 2011

Heavy floods in Atiwa District

Farmers stranded for 3 days About 10 hours of torrential rain left 105 farmers stranded on farms at Akyem Osoroase Krobomu in the Atiwa District in the Eastern Region.

July 25, 2011

Floods kill 5 at Atiwa, cause damage in other areas

Five persons drowned after rains which caused floods in the Atiwa District in the Eastern Region.

November 1, 2011

43,000 displaced by Accra floods...14 deaths recorded

The death toll in Accra rose to 14, while 43,087 people were said to have been affected by the downpour, officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) said.

May 31, 2013

Morning downpour causes floods in Accra

Heavy rains caused flooding in some parts of Accra. The rains, which started in some areas around 4.30 a.m., flooded areas such as the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Darkuman Kokompe, the Obetsebi Lamptey Circle and portions of the Graphic Road, Santa Maria and the Dansoman Roundabout.

June 6, 2014

Deluge hits Accra, more rains predicted

Accra’s poor planning was exposed when a deluge hit the national capital after more than10 hours of downpour.

The heavy rains caused flooding in the city and its environs, including Adabraka, Awoshie, the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Mallam, North Kaneshie, Abeka, Dansoman and Odorkor.

July 4, 2014

Heavy rains leave havoc in trail

Heavy rains resulted in havoc, with the worst hit areas in Accra such as Anyaa, Taifa, Dome, Nii Boi Town, Dansoman, some parts of Kaneshie, Adabraka, Awoshie, the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Mallam, Abeka, Dansoman and Odorkor submerged.