What started as a routine afternoon rain in Old Ashongman, Ablorh Adjei, quickly turned into a nightmare for florist Yvonne Mensah.

By 9 pm on Wednesday, June 3, floodwaters had overrun her gate, engulfed her compound, and filled her home to chest height, leaving her and her family stranded in terror.

In an instant, years of hard work were swept away. Sofas, beds, clothing, and treasured personal items floated helplessly before her eyes. All electronics, her television, laptops, fridges, deep freezer, and even her son’s video game console, were destroyed.

With her husband and two children, Madam Mensah climbed onto the kitchen cabinets to stay above the rising waters.

For nearly five hours, they waited in fear until neighbours’ emergency calls brought officers from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to their rescue.

Although the family was safely rescued, the emotional and material toll of the disaster soon became clear. The house was left submerged in thick mud, silt, and debris, with years of accumulated possessions destroyed.

The most heartbreaking loss was the disappearance of important documents, including papers relating to valuable properties entrusted to her by friends abroad.

Her only vehicle, which she had yet to register, was also claimed by the floodwaters. What remains is a home filled with debris and the heavy task of rebuilding a life shattered in hours.

For Madam Mensah, this disaster is more than lost property; it is the erosion of years of toil, cherished memories, and the hard-won security of her family.