Cape Coast, Oct. 01, GNA – Nearly eight hours of heavy rains accompanied by strong winds in the early hours on Friday, wreaked havoc in some parts of the ancient city of Cape Coast and its adjoining communities.
The floods described by many as ‘unprecedented’ were catastrophic in flood prone areas such as Adisadel Estate, Pedu Total, Abura New Site, Samrit Hotel area, Eyifua (PPAG),Accademy of Christ the King and Cape Coast Technical Institute and their surrounding communities and the Oguaa sports stadium areas.
The GNA witnessed many residents trapped in their homes for hours until the personnel of the GNFS intervened and forced concrete walls, dunes and hillocks broken to allow stagnant waters to recede.
Major roads particularly, in parts of Abura, Abura-Estate, parts of the University of Cape Coast, Tantri, Nsuekyir, Abubonko and Bonkus, all suburban Cape Coast were rendered impassable by motorists amid heavy vehicular traffic for hours.
There were several broken walls, rising stagnant waters, uprooted trees, electrical poles and wires hanged loosely as residents looked on helplessly.
Portions of some tarred roads were also washed away by the floods and some basic schools closed down by school authorities to guarantee the safety of pupils.
Mr Kobina Adjei Mensah, a retired security officer could hold back his tears as his children fetched buckets of water from his five bedroom apartment at Abura-Estate.
He blamed the situation on the narrowness of gutters in the area considering the volumes of water from uphill, particularly the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital area.
“All my electrical appliances are destroyed. Even my backyard garden and litter bins are all washed away,” he narrated his ordeal.
At Abura, several shop owners were seen scooping water from the shops while they counted theirloses.
Mrs Ernestina Boateng, a shop owner told the GNA the water had destroyed all her electronic appliances and property running into hundreds of Ghana cedis and blamed the flooding on indiscriminate disposal of waste and chocked gutters.
She said many houses were built in flood prone areas and on waterways forcing the water to overflow it channel to cause havoc at unexpected places.
Mr Enock Baidoo, a shop owner called on the Assembly to stop issuing building permits to prospective developers on waterways to end the perennial flooding in area and urged them to demolish all unauthorized structures in water-ways.
He asked the government to maintain the sanitation day which used to be held on the first Saturday of every month.
Assistant Division Officer (ADO) II Abdul Wasui Hudu, the Central Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that no death was recorded, but valuable property had been destroyed.
He blamed the situation largely on buildings constructed in waterlogged areas, building on waterways, choked gutters among others and advised property developers to seek appropriate advice before building.
NADMO Officials, led by its Regional Director, Mr Joe Donkor were available to access the situation.
GNA