President John Dramani Mahama has appointed the Director General of Joint Operations of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Brigadier General Forster Okae-Yeboah, to lead a nationwide flood mitigation exercise aimed at protecting lives and property following the recent devastating floods across parts of the country.
The emergency operation is expected to coordinate efforts to reduce the impact of flooding and prevent a recurrence of the widespread destruction caused by recent heavy rains.
The appointment follows torrential rainfall on Monday, June 29, 2026, which triggered severe flooding across the Greater Accra, Central and Western regions.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, Ghana recorded its highest monthly rainfall since records began in 1995, with June receiving 593.2 millimetres of rain.
The downpour on June 29 alone measured 169.2 millimetres, overwhelming drainage systems in several communities.
The flooding claimed at least 12 lives in the Greater Accra Region, while an estimated 38,802 people from 7,761 households were displaced nationwide.
Several major commercial and transport hubs, including the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Kaneshie Market, Adabraka, Alajo and Shiashie, were submerged, causing significant disruption to economic activities.
At the Odawna Garage, one of Accra’s largest automobile repair centres, more than 1,000 vehicles were inundated, threatening the livelihoods of mechanics and over 1,500 apprentices.
Emergency response teams made up of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana National Fire Service and the Ghana Red Cross also rescued at least 470 stranded residents from flood-prone communities.
As part of the new intervention, Brigadier General Okae-Yeboah will coordinate engineering and joint operational teams across the country to clear blocked waterways, assess vulnerable drainage systems and implement emergency measures to reduce the impact of the ongoing rainy season.
