Patrakyaddo/FloodWatch-Ghana

Open-source flood early warning system for Accra, Ghana with WhatsApp alerts # FloodWatch-Ghana 🌊🇬🇭 *FloodWatch Ghana* *AI-powered flood early warning system for Accra, Ghana* _Founded by Patrick Akyea-Addo_ Delivering real-time WhatsApp alerts to help vulnerable communities evacuate and stay safe before floods hit. The Problem Over 300,000 Ghanaians are affected by floods every year. In Accra, warnings from NADMO and GMet often arrive too late for communities in low-lying areas. The gap between data and action costs lives and property. The Solution *FloodWatch* combines real-time weather + community data to send instant flood alerts via WhatsApp. - *Monitor*: Rainfall, river levels, and GMet forecasts - *Alert*: Instant English WhatsApp messages with risk level + safe actions - *Report*: Community members can report flooding in 2 clicks to improve local accuracy - *Accessible*: Works without smartphone data. No app download needed. Why This Matters Now Accra’s floods are getting more frequent. With climate change, early warning is the most cost-effective way to reduce loss of life. FloodWatch puts that warning directly in people’s hands. Tech Stack - *Backend*: Python, FastAPI - *Messaging*: WhatsApp Cloud API, Meta WABA - *AI*: OpenAI GPT-4 for risk analysis and clear, actionable alert summaries - *Data*: GMet, Hydrological Service, Community Ushahidi reports - *Cloud*: Built to deploy on Azure and GCP. Applying for Microsoft for Startups + Google for Startups credits to scale. *Traction* *and* *Status* *Stage:* MVP - Live Pilot *Communities:* 3 pilot communities in Accra *Users:* 250+ on waitlist *Built by:* Solo Founder with passion for tackling climate related pain-points via AI. About the Founder *Patrick Akyea-Addo* - Self-taught AI software creator, Accra, Ghana I built FloodWatch after seeing floods disrupt my own community. My interest is in using tech to build open-source AI Systems to solve local problems. I’m currently operating FloodWatch as an independent project and seeking grants, credits, and partnerships to scale …