Tamale residents battle flooding after heavey rains

A heavy downpour in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale, Friday morning has flooded many parts of the city.

Many areas, including the Central Business District, Water Works, Gumbihini, Gumani Rice City, Zogbeli, Shishegu, and Vittin, among others, were some of the suburbs worst affected.

Roads, including parts of the Tamale-Nyankpala road, Tamale-Kumbungu road, and the Northern School of Business road, were all flooded, leaving many road users stranded.

Many homes were also flooded, with residents struggling to drain their rooms as quickly as possible.

"My rooms are flooded. I'm just lucky I was still at home when the rain started. I would have lost a lot of property," a resident of Rice City told Ghanaweb.

"Our drains were overflowing after the heavy rains, causing my room to flood. I've lost so many properties," another resident said.

"I got stuck on my way to work because the entire road leading to my work was flooded. I have worked here for over three years, and this is the first time I have seen the road flooded," Mohammed Ibrahim, a stranded road user at the Water Works stretch of the Tamale-Kumbungu road, said.

The city has been experiencing very heavy rains since mid-September after a nearly two-month-old drought ended in early September.

It is unusual to have such heavy rains in October in Tamale, as it is usually a period marking the end of the rainy season, but the drought seems to have changed the weather patterns.

Many have called for more sensitization and education of residents on the effects of climate alter in the region.