Rains are here, drains are choked, climate change is upon us: where do we turn now?

Climate change is real and not a fiction.  

The extreme hot weather in the last few months was unbearable even with cold showers and cooling aids.

Now the rains are here, the atmosphere is cooling down a bit giving one the respite from restless hot nights.

But does one rejoice or not knowing the atrocities the season brings with heavy downpours and the propensity for flooding in the context of climate change?

Definitely, in the absence of extremities, the rainy season is a season of rejoicing for some food planters who depend mainly on the rain to water their farms.

It is also a period of relief for cattle farmers who would have travelled miles to get to rivers and streams for their animals not to mention those in the horticultural business.  

For road users however, whether it is on the highways or roads in communities, heavy rains as is being seen of late and linked to climate change, bring daily stress, plying very bad roads characterised by manholes and potholes.

But the greatest heartbreak comes when one starts experiencing heavy floods due to the poor drainage systems and the destruction it brings, sometimes, with the loss of lives and properties. 

Heavy rains

We are in the early beginnings of the season.  The stress and panic with floods and devastations has caught up already with us as one monitors the media.  

Reports in the news and Social Media, paint pictures of panic and fear from some resultant havoc rearing their heads as the result of heavy rains.

Over the last few weeks, one has observed, while counting several news reports on damages and disasters allegedly being outcomes of the recent heavy rains.

The other day, it was a public warning to drivers who ply a certain portion of roads in Achimota, here in Accra, to find alternative routes as the heavy rains had caused the falling of a huge tree onto the road making it impassable.

As was evident in the videos of the blockage on social media, the anguish caused to commuters was evident as men struggled to cut and remove the fallen tree from the road.

One can only hope that such disasters would not happen again and that huge trees of the kind left a bit close to major roads and communities are trimmed regularly as part of measures to keep our cities and towns beautiful and safe.

Central Region

Before one could take a breather from that news, continuous rain in the Central Region was widely reported to have created huge chaos on the Kasoa to Winneba highway, causing havoc and traffic congestion.

Apparently, a section of the road which is under repairs got flooded causing kilometres of traffic jam.

 Those who tried to find alternative routes of escape, ended up with more frustrations and delays as the rains had caused disruptions everywhere.

As one would have it and still in the Central Region, a severe tidal waves was reported within the same period in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese area as a result of heavy rains.

The damage caused was reportedly so severe that many people were displaced.  

That led to urgent resettlement of some communities in the constituency.

So far, led by the Member of Parliament for the constituency, the National Disaster Management Organisation, (NADMO) and the Assemblies, help has reached the victims to settle them for now.

As if all that was not enough for now, in the course of these same couple of weeks, there was a video circulating on social media of floods in certain parts of Accra and linking it to the heavy downpours.

 The video showed vehicles almost submerged in flooded roads.

One knows that floods in the capital during this time of the year are regular occurrences.  It is rather unfortunate that for all these years, despite the atrocious nature of the floods, not much seems to happen to curtail any further disruptions come the following year.  The story has always remained, if not same, then worse than before.

The good news is that despite all the disruptions caused by heavy rains so far, no lives have so far been reported.

The authorities, including NADMO and the Assembles would need to stretch their surveillance wider as the rains continue to avert any destruction to life and properties when the floods come.

Communities and households may be preparing against the worst because climate change has come to stay.

The onus lies on all citizens to live responsibly and keep our environments, especially our drains clean and free from filth.  

Hopefully, climate change has brought a lot of awareness and many have taken valuable cues to prevent their homes and communities from being submerged in water as we race towards the peak of the rainy season.

Let us be conscious and responsible in keeping our environments clean and tidy for as long as it depends on us so we are not found wanting when the rains come down and the floods set in.

Climate change is changing our weather pattern for real.

Writer’s email: vickywirekoandoh
@yahoo.com