Accra Rains: Climate Change and Attitude

The topic is almost trite to begin with. At about 4 A.M. this morning, I received a call from a former colleague journalist. He asked if my home was flooded. The mention of flood jolted me out of my sleep. No, my home was not, I live at Dansoman and sometimes Osu and hardly does Osu get flooded.

But I was up and busy tweeting whichever credible information I could lay my hands on. At the time, many Ghanaians I know on twitter were silent, or probably asleep. I turned to Citi FM. And as it turned out, Richard Dela Sky had started a live report from at around one in the morning. It was the kind of journalism devoid of sensationalism but well focused on detail and description. Then many other Citi FM reporters got hooked on reporting from the whole Circle area, Achimota, Kisseiman, Kasoa, Weija et cetera. I still felt alone relaying all that information on to twitter until I saw that colleague Ghana Blogger member Mac-Jordan was awake.

Ghana Army arriving on scene

For me, I noticed that although news reporting started during the early hours when areas started getting flooded, it was not until about four hours later that the nation''s security appeared on the scenes as they tried to rescue flood victims.

The Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr. Portuphy, said his office has put together a combine rescue team consisting of the Ghana Army, Police and Fire Service. That was at about 5.30 A.M. Three deaths had been reported, two had been confirmed. Six people were reported missing. Communities were flooded with people on top of their homes

When Citi FM spoke to Dr. Amamoo, an expert, he confirmed that Accra had a primordial rainfall pattern and September-October was the second phase. If anything at all, Accra had just made a turnaround to pick up its past rainfall pattern. This says a lot about us as a people. We have taken too many things for granted. Indeed, climate change cannot be factored out of these change in rainfall pattern. And what have we done to contribute to this? Dr. Amamoo points to our destruction of Accra's vegetation. The rains fall and quickly disappear.
 Indeed, flood is a discourse we have had over the years and yet, our reaction has been quite predictable.
Many have mentioned building on Accra's waterways. I dare say that if we plan and prepare ahead, that could be surmounted. And oh the drainages, if you see someone litter, call him or her to pick it up!

As for His Excellency the President, just as I anticipated, he was on the flood scenes making a first stop at Circle where he said   "...the government will do everything to bring this under control" and extended his sympathies to the families of the flood victims. I think it is not the sympathies we need. Get the boats for the military. Too expensive? Try building a ship industry! Not too ambitious

Meanwhile, I can only congratulate the many Ghanaians who stepped out to show great communal spirit by helping those in distress while help seemed far-fetched. The journalists who helped disseminate information and cover the ongoing destruction of property. We can educate residents on how to respond better to floods or any forms of disaster.

For a crowdmap on the Accra Floods, please click here. On twitter, use the hashtag #AccraFloods