The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has confirmed that five people tragically lost their lives following heavy flooding in parts of the Greater Accra Region on Sunday, May 18, 2025.
The flooding exposed serious weaknesses in the city’s drainage systems and ongoing issues with unplanned urban development.
According to NADMO’s Director of Inspectorate, Richard Amo Yartey, three of the fatalities occurred in the Ga East Municipality, while two others were recorded in Adenta.
He described the incident as deeply unfortunate and urged residents to pay close attention to weather warnings.
“Our records indicate that five lives were lost, three in the Ga East Municipality and two in the Adenta Municipality. It is so unfortunate, and it also tells us that we need to intensify our education. I will advise citizens to pay attention to weather warnings.
It is in our interest to stay informed about potential risks,” Mr. Yartey stated during an interview on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency reported only 25 millimetres of rainfall on that day, a relatively moderate amount. However, heavy runoff from prior rains and upland areas overwhelmed Accra’s drainage infrastructure, causing widespread flooding.
Several communities were severely affected, including Adenta, Kaneshie, Weija, Adabraka, and parts of Tema. Roads became impassable, vehicles were submerged, and thousands of residents were left stranded.
Among those impacted was well-known YouTuber Kwadwo Sheldon, whose home was flooded, resulting in the loss of his air conditioning unit, but thankfully no loss of life.
Mr. Yartey emphasized that the root cause of the devastation was not the volume of rainfall, but poor drainage capacity worsened by unchecked urban sprawl and blocked waterways.
