Flooding and landslides in Ivory Coast’s largest city of Abidjan have left more than 20 people dead following a week of heavy rains, four times the usual volume in some cases. Flood-related deaths are not uncommon in the West African nation during the rainy season but according to the Ivorian meteorological agency, the recent rainfall was particularly violent with that more than 8 inches in some districts, four times the usual volume in a day. Informal settlements are particularly vulnerable because of poor storm drainage among homes often built quickly without zoning regulations.
