Agavedzi: Tidal waves displace 129 residents

Tidal waves struck Agavedzi in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region on Saturday, February 1, displacing 129 people from 21 households.

The waves, which occurred at 3:00 pm, completely destroyed a total of 15 buildings.

The Director in charge of the Emergency Operations Centre of NADMO in the Volta Region, Paschal K. Agbagba, disclosed this to Graphic at Agavedzi today, Sunday, 9th February.

He said the displaced persons comprised 25 men, 22 women, 35 boys, and 47 girls.

Mr Agbagba explained that the flooding resulted from high sea tides encroaching on the community and surging across the road that separates the lagoon from the houses.

Relief Items

So far, he said, the Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, and NADMO have jointly donated 500 bags of sachet water, five bales of clothes, and two bales of blankets to the flood victims.

The donated items also included 100 plastic buckets, 100 plastic cups, and 100 mosquito nets, he added.

The NADMO Regional Emergency Operations Director said the items were handed over to a team comprising the assembly member, the municipal director of NADMO, a representative of the chiefs, as well as men and women from the community.

Mr Agbagba stated that the Member of Parliament for the area, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, had also donated five maxi bags of maize to the flood victims.

Refuge

Meanwhile, some of the displaced persons have sought shelter with friends and relatives in Agavedzi, while others have relocated to Agbozume and its environs, he told Graphic Online.

Mr Agbagba revealed that the floods had affected the cemetery, necessitating the reburial of some bodies that had been washed from their graves.

He noted with concern that some residents were hurriedly reburying the remains of their deceased relatives without consulting municipal health authorities, which could pose a serious health hazard.

He maintained that a permanent solution to the recurring floods in Agavedzi and other communities in Ketu South would be either relocating residents to higher ground or completing the sea defence wall.