An elderly man narrowly escaped drowning after climbing a coconut tree to escape rising floodwaters during Thursday's heavy rains in Moree, a fishing community in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District of the Central Region.

The downpour left several homes submerged, destroying property and displacing residents as floodwaters swept through parts of the community, Adom News' Kafui Justice reported.

One of the rescuers, Alfred Kofi Appiah, told journalists that the victim was trapped in his room as floodwaters rose to neck level and eventually swept him from the building.

According to Mr Appiah, the man managed to hold onto a nearby coconut tree and climbed it to avoid being carried away by the strong current until residents arrived to rescue him.

Mr Appiah blamed the persistent flooding on the sale and development of wetlands within the community, arguing that buildings constructed on waterways have obstructed the natural flow of water.

He called on the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District Assembly to take decisive action, including the demolition of structures erected on waterways and wetlands.

Residents also expressed concerns over the construction of a church building by Moulders Chapel International on what they described as a wetland area, alleging that part of the wetland had been filled to facilitate the project.

Another resident, Kobina Daniels, echoed concerns about developments on waterways and urged traditional leaders and landowners to stop the sale of wetlands to private developers.

He also cited inadequate drainage infrastructure as a major contributor to the flooding and called on the district assembly to desilt existing drains to improve the flow of stormwater during heavy rains.

Mr Daniels further appealed to the authorities to remove structures that obstruct waterways in order to reduce the risk of future flooding.

A visit to affected areas after the rains showed several households clearing mud and drying salvaged belongings, as residents began assessing the extent of the damage caused by the floods.