Regional News of Saturday, 31 May 2014

Source: GNA

Rains destroy property in Ho

Swift running waters from a one-and-half-hour rainfall in Ho on Thursday evening overshot drains, entering into homes in low lying areas.

The rains carried household effects, including electrical appliances, cooking utensils and clothes along its temporary paths.

Simon Miles Bakar, Volta Regional Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the affected areas included areas in the vicinity along the dip on the Ho-Aflao highway near the Ho-Polyclinic.

He said one of the two culverts was choked, forcing the running waters to rise and push through houses there above the window level, and that three street lamps were dislodged, and a street embankment broken in that area.

Mr. Bakar mentioned areas around the Asogli State Palace, Anlo Kordzi, RTC-down as also affected.

He said there were no reports of casualties, and displacements were overnight.

Enyone Awude, Technical Officer at the Ho Municipality of the Meteorological Department, put volumes of precipitation at 68.6 mm.

“Looking at the amount of rainfall in only an hour-and-half, one can say it was heavy, very heavy, another hour and the story would have been bad,” he stated.

Mr. Awude said, it appeared the drains were probably too full of silt or not big enough to carry the waters.

He suggested that development agents should seek advice from the Meteorological Services Department when designing drains.