Heavy Flooding Overrun Montserrado Amid Torrential Rain -Residents Call for Govt Action; Blame Poor Drainage System

By: George C. Flomo

MONROVIA – Liberia’s capital city, Monrovia, came under siege early Wednesday morning when a torrential downpour lasting more than six hours submerged several communities, damaged homes, and displaced families. From 1:00 a.m. until nearly 7:00 a.m., heavy rains, accompanied by fierce lightning, thunder, and violent storms, left behind flooded neighborhoods and impassable roads across Montserrado County.

One of the hardest-hit areas was Omega Market in Paynesville, one of the busiest commercial hubs in the capital. Homes and market stalls were overtaken by rising water, leaving traders and residents scrambling for safety.

“We woke up and the whole yard was already under water,” explained one resident who asked not to be named. “We had to move our children and some of our things to neighbors living on higher ground.”

The Soul Clinic Community, New Hope, Jacob Town, Du-port Road, Zayzay Community and also in Monrovia, were also severely affected. In Soul Clinic, several houses were inundated, with water rising knee-deep inside living rooms. In Zayzay Community, the main road was temporarily covered, cutting off traffic and stranding commuters.

“This is not just rain; this is disaster,” said another resident in Zayzay Community. “Every year, we go through the same thing. The drainage is too small, people build on waterways, and some use the drainage as dumping sites. That’s why our community is always the victim.”

Root Causes and Growing Concerns

Residents pointed to clogged drainages, poor sanitation habits, and the encroachment of structures on natural waterways as the leading causes of the flooding. Many blamed the lack of proper urban planning and called on the government to take urgent action.

“People no longer carry dirt to proper dumping sites; they throw it in the drainage,” Ma-Yamah in Paynesville lamented. “The water has nowhere to go, so it comes right back to us.”

NDMA Warnings Becoming Reality

The flooding comes just months after the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) issued repeated warnings about the looming risks of this year’s rainy season.

Back in June, NDMA Director General Hon. Ansu Dulleh cautioned that over 60,000 Liberians living in low-lying areas were at risk of displacement due to projected heavy rainfall. At the Ministry of Information Cultural Affaires and Tourism (MICAT) regular press briefing, Dulleh stressed that Monrovia could face average rainfall levels exceeding 1,000mm between June and September.

“The Roberts International Airport METAR weather station and NOAA’s Integrated Surface Database projected violent storms reaching up to 73mph between July and October,” Dulleh warned at the time. “We advised citizens to take early precautions to safeguard lives and property.”

On September 16, as rains intensified, Dulleh again raised the alarm, noting that communities in Montserrado, including Caldwell, Clara Town, and Tweah Farm, were already battling flooding. “Our agency is overwhelmed, but we are doing everything humanly possible to cater to our people,” he told reporters.

Calls for Action

With Wednesday’s disaster reinforcing the NDMA’s projections, residents are now demanding not just warnings, but urgent interventions. Many are appealing to the government and international partners to speed up drainage clearing projects, enforce bans on wetland encroachment, and provide immediate relief for displaced families.

“Every year the story is the same,” said a frustrated resident of Soul Clinic. “We don’t want only talk. We want to see action before lives are lost.”

The NDMA says it continues to work with partners like the World Bank under the Urban Resilience Project to clear drainages and finalize a Disaster Risk Financing Strategy to unlock international emergency support.

But for many Montserrado residents, today’s flooding is proof that time is already running out.

As the rains continue this season, the threat of more devastating floods looms large, testing both government preparedness and the resilience of ordinary Liberians.