President John Mahama has linked the recent flooding in Hohoe to extreme weather patterns associated with climate change, saying changing rainfall patterns are making it increasingly difficult to predict the weather.

The President made the comments when he visited communities affected by the flooding in the Hohoe Municipality and presented relief items to residents who were displaced by the disaster.

The items included bags of rice, mattresses and other relief supplies, while Dzata Cement has also pledged 5,000 bags of cement to support residents whose homes were destroyed by the floods.

The flooding, triggered by the overflow of the River Dayi following heavy rains, affected more than 5,000 people and hundreds of homes in the municipality.

President Mahama said he learnt about the disaster while returning from New York, where he had attended the United Nations, and decided to visit the affected communities to sympathise with residents and support the relief effort.

“I was on my way back from New York, from the United Nations, when we heard what had happened here in Hohoe,” he said.

He acknowledged the efforts of traditional leaders, the Zongo chiefs, the Member of Parliament, the Municipal Chief Executive, the presiding member and others who had supported the response to the disaster.

President Mahama said the flooding was part of a wider pattern of extreme weather events linked to climate change.

“There’s something we call climate change, and so it’s leading to what we call extreme weather phenomena,” he said.

He explained that rainfall patterns had become less predictable, with periods of excessive rainfall followed by drought.

“This is not something that happens every year. But now at times the rain falls excessively, and sometimes there’s a drought; it doesn’t fall at all. So now you can’t predict how the weather will behave,” he said.

According to the President, heavy rainfall in neighbouring Togo sent large volumes of water into the River Dayi, causing it to overflow and flood low-lying communities in Hohoe.

“And so continuous rainfall, I’m informed, in Togo brought a lot of water down the River Dayi and flooded the low-lying areas of Hohoe, which is mostly the Zongo and other communities by the riverside,” he said.

He said his visit was to sympathise with the affected residents and provide immediate support.

“And so we came here today to sympathise with Togbe Ga, the Chiefs and the people who have been affected, and we also brought a few items to donate,” he said.

President Mahama said several government institutions and individuals had already provided assistance to the affected communities.

He mentioned the Minister of Gender and the Minister of Roads and Highways, as well as the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), among those who had provided relief.

“I know my Minister of Gender has been here. I know my Minister of Roads and Highways brought a donation. NADMO has also brought some items,” he said.

He said the relief items presented during his visit were from the Presidency.

“So these items are from the Presidency. We brought them to present to the people,” he said.

President Mahama also disclosed that the owner of Dzata Cement, whom he described as his younger brother, had pledged 5,000 bags of cement to help residents rebuild their homes.

“The owner of Dzata Cement, who happens to be my younger brother, has also promised 5,000 bags of cement to help the people whose houses have been destroyed,” he said.

He directed that the relief items be distributed fairly to ensure that they reached people directly affected by the flooding.

“I’ll leave it in the hands of the MP and the MC and the Regional Minister to distribute these items fairly, so that those who are affected are the ones who will receive it,” he said.

The President also conveyed the sympathies of his wife, Lordina Mahama, who, he said, was particularly concerned about the impact of the flooding on the local hospital.

He said she had asked whether the hospital had been affected, but the MP had assured him that it remained safe.

The Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive, Prosper Kumi, said more than 5,000 people had been affected by the flooding.

He said the disaster affected the Zongo community, described as one of the largest Zongo communities in the country, as well as six other communities along the River Dayi.

“About 5,336 people were individually affected, with homes, just as you saw yourself,” Mr Kumi said.

He said several homes and critical structures had collapsed, while the destruction of three key bridges had disrupted movement between communities.

“Three critical bridges also collapsed as a result of the floods,” he said.

According to the MCE, one of the affected areas had been completely cut off, leaving residents on opposite sides unable to move between the communities.

“The other community is left on the other side. They can’t move here. These people also cannot move there,” he said.

He said authorities had managed to restore access to one of the affected areas temporarily by using boulders to reinforce the damaged section.

“The other one we were able to salvage the situation yesterday by using boulders to hold the path that clearly cut them off,” he said.

Read also: President Mahama tours flood-hit Hohoe communities, presents relief items