\n\n\n\n
ROBERTSPORT, Cape Mount \u2013 One quiet night in Kru Town last year, Rebecca Wleh woke to cold water above her knees. Within minutes, the flood had invaded her home, swallowing everything, including the mat on which her son, who has cerebral palsy, lay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She resettled in Popo Town, hoping for safety. But disaster struck again earlier this year, flooding her new home and destroying the little she had rebuilt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wleh is one of thousands of residents in Robertsport, particularly in Kru Town and Fanti Town, who authorities say must relocate. Authorities say it is the best solution for a recurring nightmare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe county authorities have provided around 25 acres of land between Sembehun and Latiah to relocate communities at higher risk of flooding,\u201d said Aaron Sambolah, Grand Cape Mount County\u2019s Development Superintendent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authorities say the floods, which affected at least 15 communities, are caused by sea erosion and garbage. Both block an estuary commonly referred to as the \u201cbar mouth,\u201d where Lake Piso, Liberia\u2019s largest lake, meets the Atlantic Ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sea erosion in coastal Liberia is driven by rising sea levels, increasing temperatures, and heavy rainfall. A 2017 climate risk profile found<\/a> that for a one-meter rise in sea levels, Robertsport, Buchanan, Monrovia and other places will be underwater, losing US$250 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, local communities dispose of their garbage in the lake, clogging the bar mouth. This prevents Lake Piso from discharging into the ocean, causing the Mole Creek and Mafa River, which flow into the lake, to overflow their banks and inundate nearby communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Devastating<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Since 2023, flash floods have repeatedly hit Robertsport and other parts of Gola Konneh District. Over 1,000 households, especially those living in wetland and riverside or lakeside communities, have been affected in Robertsport and Monrovia, according to the International Federation of the Red Cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Six of Robertsport\u2019s eight communities were impacted, with Fanti Town and Kru Town\u2014where Wleh lives\u2014 among the worst-hit. Families were forced to evacuate in the middle of the night, leaving behind their belongings. Vulnerable groups were most affected, the Red Cross reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Public facilities like schools and city halls were converted into temporary shelters. However, these quickly became overcrowded, and limited access to clean water, sanitation, and basic supplies created further hardship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond health and sanitation, the economic toll has been severe, particularly for those in the fishing industry, a primary livelihood in the city. Fishermen reported damage to boats, nets, and fishing grounds. Fishmongers lost their entire stock to water damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen we got there, it was devastating. The place was so flooded that even our rainboots were filled with water,\u201d says Alice Kemokai, Youth and Volunteer Focal Person for the Liberia National Red Cross Society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPeople had nowhere to sleep, and the painful part was seeing pregnant women, mothers with babies, the elderly, and people with disabilities fighting to survive,\u201d adds Kemokai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Red Cross has provided emergency shelter, food, and non-food items such as pots, mats, and buckets. Local authorities have also contributed US$10,000 to support immediate relief efforts. Additionally, funding from ECOWAS is expected to provide US$250 each to over 500 victims of last year\u2019s flood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite these, officials reckon that humanitarian assistance is unsustainable and relocation is the best solution. In 2023, they secured the land in Sembehum, some seven kilometers from Robertsport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe recommend relocation, especially for communities along the ocean,\u201d says Sando Kamara, Coordinator at the National Disaster Management Agency. \u201cIt will help curtail flooding, since people in Fanti Town often dump waste into the lake, clogging the bar mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Development Superintendent Sambolah agrees with Kamara. \u201cThe intent is not to relocate Robertsport itself, one of our national heritage sites. It is to move affected communities to prevent future casualties,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Group of 77, a government-run agency that supports people with disabilities, is advocating for a location favorable for children like Wleh\u2019s son, who has issues with movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Relocation will add a new page to Robertsport\u2019s impressive history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Built on a hilltop, Robertsport overlooks the vibrant Atlantic Ocean, Lake Piso, and a massive mangrove reserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Robertsport was founded in 1856 by freed African Americans, and its colonial-style buildings and cultural ties to the U.S. remain visible. It was named after Joseph Jenkins Roberts, Liberia\u2019s first president, and had been discovered by Portuguese navigator Pedro de Sintra<\/a> in 1462. Destroyed during Liberia\u2019s civil wars, the city has become a symbol of resilience through eco-tourism and fisheries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Residents like Wleh are willing to leave the city\u2019s impressive history behind to escape the floodwaters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnywhere the government wants to carry us, I\u2019m willing. I\u2019m tired. The cold is killing us. My son\u2019s condition is my greatest worry,\u201d says Wleh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joseph Ajane, a fisherman from Kru Town, is prepared to resettle in Sembehum or elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf the government or any NGO wants to relocate us, we will be happy. Even though it will be challenging for me as a fisherman to live far from the sea, I have other skills I can survive on,” such as masonry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Others, like Amie Fahnbulleh, a fishmonger, worry that relocation could separate them from their livelihoods. After losing her business and savings to the floods, she fears relocation will be difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe want the government to help us with money to fix our homes. We cannot relocate to somewhere far because it will give us a hard time to buy, sell and dry our fish,\u201d says Fahnbulleh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some residents propose relocating inland during the floods and returning afterward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fishmonger Beatrice Botoe supports this idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf the government and other organizations can come in to help us, this will be very good for us who are living here. We will only be coming back here to dry our fish and go back to our houses daily,\u201d says Botoe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stage.thedaylight.org\/wp68\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/DJI_0163-1024x576.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stage.thedaylight.org\/wp68\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Robertsport-Floods--1024x460.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stage.thedaylight.org\/wp68\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Drone-Shots-of-Robertsport--1024x576.jpg\")
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n