A rainstorm has wreaked havoc in the Wa Municipality of the Upper West Region, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
The storm which occurred on the evening of Friday, 18th April 2025, ripped off roofs, uprooted trees, knocked down electricity poles, and damaged several buildings across the municipality.
Among the worst-hit was a popular local restaurant, Dine in Delicacies, which suffered major destruction when a giant tree collapsed on the structure. The restaurant was operational at the time of the incident, with nine people inside.
The owner, Hajia Latifa Ibrahim Dodoo, who was present at the scene, said the crash caused panic, but only one person was briefly trapped and later rescued unhurt.
“Two fridges and other vital equipment were destroyed,” she told reporters.
The rainstorm also struck down electricity poles, plunging several sections of the municipality into darkness. One of such affected areas includes the SSNIT Residential Area.
Institutions were not spared by the storm. At Naa Momory Technical and Vocational School, the Vice Principal in charge of Academics, Hussein Yasir, expressed distress over the extensive damage.
“It lasted about 15 to 16 minutes, but the destruction was heavy. Our fashion department, ICT block, HOD offices, and parts of the dormitory have all been ripped off,” he stated.
He said the school is in dire need of help, particularly as students are expected to resume in just a few days.
“We are pleading with the Municipal Chief Executive, the Regional Minister, and the nation at large to come to our aid. We’re already struggling with infrastructure, and this disaster has made it worse,” he lamented.
In response to the incident, a team from the Upper West Regional office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), led by Director Maxwell Emmanuel, visited the site to begin preliminary assessments.
Emmanuel confirmed that his outfit had earlier received a letter indicating the tree posed a risk and needed to be cut down, but the necessary action had not been taken before the disaster occurred.
“We received a distress call that a tree had fallen on a restaurant. My team, under the instruction of the Regional Minister and in collaboration with the Wa Municipal Chief Executive, quickly moved to the scene. Unfortunately, a prior warning was not acted upon in time,” he said.
Emmanuel revealed that more distress calls had been received from other parts of the municipality. He said NADMO, in partnership with the Ghana National Fire Service, would begin work to clear debris and conduct a full assessment to inform subsequent relief interventions.
However, he admitted that NADMO’s regional stores currently have no relief supplies available for immediate distribution.
“We’ll first mobilise support from local sources before reaching out to our national office. Once our assessment is complete, we will act swiftly to assist those affected,” he stated.
Also at the scene was the newly confirmed Wa Municipal Chief Executive, Alhaji Issah Nura Danwanaa, who described the event as his “baptism of fire” following his confirmation just a day earlier.
“I was in a meeting receiving visitors when I was called about this disaster. I immediately contacted the Municipal Response Team and came here to assess the damage,” he explained.
He assured of immediate municipal support.
“We will engage the fire service to help remove the debris and involve the police to secure the premises. After that, we’ll return to the office to plan further support,” he said.
In Wa West, Member of Parliament, Peter Lanchene Toobu toured devastated communities, describing the incident as a stark reminder of the worsening effects of climate change.
“This storm has left many people homeless. Properties have been destroyed, electric poles broken, and roofs ripped off. Climate change is real, and we must begin to act differently,” he told journalists.
Toobu expressed concern over NADMO’s limited resources but remained hopeful about improvements.
