Downpour causes extensive damage to properties in Berekum Municipality

A heavy downpour in the Berekum Municipality of the Bono Region early Tuesday caused extensive damage to properties and personal belongings, totaling thousands of Ghana cedis. The hardest hit communities were Kyiribaa, Brenyekwa, and the Berekum Zongo, with floodwaters entering homes and leaving many people homeless. No casualties were reported.

Assembly Member for Kyiribaa Electoral Area, Madam Florence Adusah, expressed concern over the inadequate drainage system in the municipality. She pointed out that the flooding was partly caused by blocked gutters and unauthorized structures built in waterways. She urged the community members to stop littering and disposing plastic waste in drains, and called on the assembly to enforce regulations on construction and building in the affected areas.

In Berekum Zongo, Madam Mary Owusuaa, one of the flood-affected individuals, recounted that floodwaters entered her home at around 0400 hours. About 13 houses in her area were inundated, with floodwaters destroying televisions, mattresses, sound systems, mobile phones, and furniture. She appealed to the Municipal Assembly and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) for assistance, as many affected families were currently staying with relatives and friends.

Another affected individual, Madam Juliana Adu Akrasi, noted that the ongoing construction of the 24-hour market project near her residence had impacted the drainage system. She explained that the excavated soil from the construction site had been piled up in a major drainage channel, blocking waterways and hindering the free flow of water.

Many affected individuals implored the NADMO, Municipal Assembly, and charitable organizations to provide aid, urging the assembly to improve the poor drainage system in parts of the municipality.