At least seven people, including two women and two children, were killed after relentless overnight downpours flooded Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, toppling homes, trapping residents, and cutting off key roads, officials said Saturday.
The torrential rains – measuring over 115 millimeters in just eight hours – began Friday night and lasted until dawn, triggering flash floods that paralyzed parts of the city, destroyed nine homes across multiple districts, and displaced more than 200 families.
Public transport halted, and major tarmac arteries were rendered impassable.
“We spent the night on rooftops, shivering from the cold,” said Mohamed Hassan, a resident of one of the worst-hit neighborhoods. “Some elderly people are still trapped. I haven’t even had breakfast.”
Spokesperson Salah Omar Hassan of the Banadir regional administration confirmed the death toll and warned that damage to six major roads could cripple movement across the capital. "These roads are vital lifelines for transport and people,” he said.
The flooding also temporarily disrupted operations at Aden Abdulle International Airport, though flights later resumed. Rescue efforts continued Saturday as assessments by the Somali Disaster Management Agency were still underway.
Climate shocks are nothing new to Somalia. In 2023, El Nino-fueled flooding killed more than 100 people and displaced over a million. And the crisis continues. A U.N. report from late April indicated that 45,000 people across the country had already been affected by flash floods since mid-month.
The Energy and Water Ministry warned of potential flash floods in other regions, citing the city’s overwhelmed drainage system and rapid urban expansion as key vulnerabilities in this unfolding disaster.
“I have never seen rain this heavy in Mogadishu,” said Abdullahi Ali, a 35-year-old father whose neighborhood was submerged. “Several houses crumbled around us.”
