Seek shelter at safe places – NADMO

Source: Daily Graphic Ghana  -  The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has advised the public to seek shelter at safer places instead of filling stations in the event of downpours and other disasters.
The organisation also warned the public to stay out of the city or go home when there were early warning signs of heavy rainfall to avoid getting stranded.
Giving the advice in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday,

the Deputy National Coordinator, Mr Ebenezer Dosoo, said it was very risky for the public to seek shelter in places such as filling stations and uncompleted buildings.

He also advised motorists to park their vehicles at safer places to avoid accidents.

Meanwhile, Mr Dosoo said NADMO had since last Wednesday night’s floods initiated measures to rescue displaced victims.

For instance, he said NADMO was at Teshie, the Greda Estates, Glefe, Dansoman, Kaneshie and many other places to carry out rescue missions.

He said currently, a team comprising soldiers from the 48 Engineers (field engineers), the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana National Fire Service, the Ghana Navy, the Ghana Air force, as well as volunteers, was working around the clock to rescue any victims of the flood.

He said the organisation had planned towards the disaster months before it happened and, therefore, it was capable of taking control of the situation.

Although the team was on the field, Mr Dosoo indicated that NADMO could not be everywhere and called on the public to provide information on any emergency situation for the rescue team to move into action.

On materials, equipment and other incentives for the team to work with, he said it could never have enough considering the nature of its work and thus appealed to the general public to support the organisation.

In 1999, floods occurred in the Upper West, Upper East, Northern and the northern parts of the Brong Ahafo and Volta regions. More than 300,000 people were affected. There were secondary disasters of water-borne and water-related diseases to contend with.

In 2007, floods swept through the Upper West, Upper East and Northern regions. More than 307,127 people were affected with the loss of 31 lives in the Upper East and 10 in Upper West regions, respectively.