Accra Floods Kill 13 as Another Storm Approaches
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- Ghana National Fire Service reported at least 13 deaths in Accra from Sunday night's torrential rain, warning the toll could rise as recovery operations continue, with low-lying areas hit hardest.
- Ghana's government urged residents to stay indoors or move to higher ground as the Ghana Meteorological Agency warned more rain was expected Tuesday with a big storm approaching from the east.
- GNFS rescue teams have saved more than 470 people so far, while police, military, and the National Disaster Management Organisation have been deployed to the flood-affected region.
- President Mahama said preliminary data showed ~140mm of rain fell on Accra — compared to last year's highest single-day rainfall of ~56mm — and ordered the demolition of illegal structures built on waterways after an aerial tour.
- The floods triggered a major fire at a rubber factory in Accra and forced GRIDCo and the Electricity Company of Ghana to temporarily shut down power to parts of the capital after substations were inundated.
- WaterAid Ghana director Ewurabena Yanyi-Akofur called for stronger urban planning and preparedness, calling the flooding "not an isolated weather event, but part of a pattern intensified by climate change and rapid, unplanned urbanisation."
Why it matters: The 140mm single-day downpour — roughly 2.5× last year's worst rainfall — highlights how Accra's drainage system, clogged gutters, and illegal structures on waterways continue to expose a city of more than 4 million to flood risk, with the 2015 Accra floods that killed 150 in a fuel station explosion underscoring the stakes as another storm approaches Tuesday.
