According to media reports, 3 fatalities occurred in Chereponi district on 28 August. Two people died attempting to cross a swollen river in Bunkpurugu Nakpanduri district on 26 August. Three other people died as a result of lightning strikes.
Flooding has also affected parts of neighbouring Northern Region, in particular in the region's capital Tamale where dozens of homes were damaged or destroyed and residents forced to flee.
The recent spate of floods in North and North East Regions follows the flooding in Ghana's Upper West Region earlier this month which caused severe damage to roads and homes. Flooding in Upper East Region in the following days also damaged roads, leaving communities in Bongo District isolated.
Further south, one person was rescued after floods swept through Kumasi in Ashanti Region on 25 August.
Bagre Dam Releases
Ghana's National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) warned that flooding could worsen in the north of the country after SONABEL, the operators of the Bagre Dam in neighbouring Burkina Faso, said they will begin releasing water from the dam situated on the White Volta River from around 27 August.
SONABEL said levels of the dam are high after heavy rainfall since late July 2021. As of 29 August the dam levels stood at 234.32 metres, where maximum is 235 metres. SONABEL called on the populations in the provinces of Boulgou and Zoundweogo in Burkina Faso to be vigilant in view of the risks of flooding. Dam releases are a common occurrence and last year saw a similar situation.
Local media in Ghana said that in the last few days, farmers along the White Volta have been racing against time to harvest their crops as they seek to minimise the impact of the disaster on their livelihoods.
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