The June 29 floods in Accra caused widespread destruction and loss of lives. Several homes within the capital became completely submerged after several hours of rain. The flood waters affected about 7,761 households, displaced 38,802 people, left seven missing, and claimed 12 lives, Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, told Parliament on June 30, 2026.
In that same address, the minister made some claims which went viral and had been understood by some social media users (here, here, and here) as a comparison of Ghana’s disaster situation to California, a state in the US.
Below is a transcript of the Interior Minister’s address claims that went viral on social media platforms:
“Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak to one of our prominent media outlets and I said, yes disasters will always happen. It is how prepared you are that will determine the amount of loss that may be occurred.
“Because Mr. Speaker today, and I’m saying it not to water down the effect, but just to draw all of us attention, America is the richest country in the world, and one of its richest states is California. California State is the richest state in America. In fact, standing on its own, it’s the 6th largest economy in the world. Yet they had disasters and people lost their lives. They have all the measures, we are not using this as an excuse,” he said (from the 18:26 minute of the broadcast).
This report fact-checks the minister’s claims that:
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- California has previously had deadly disasters (flood)
- California is the 6th largest economy in the world
- California is the richest state in America
Claim 1
California “had disaster and people lost their lives”
Fact-check
What are California’s disaster records?
California has had a long history with disasters. The state has experienced floods, earthquakes, landslides and wildfires dating back to 1861. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the state is even home to active volcanoes.
With specific reference to floods, California recorded deadly floods in the late 2025 and some amount of floods early this year.
“All 58 counties (of California) have a history of severe flood damage, making flood risk the most widespread natural hazard in the state—more pervasive than earthquakes or wildfires,” said Public Policy Institute of California, a think tank based in the state.
Verdict:
It is true that California has had disasters which have led to loss of lives.
Claim 2
California is the 6th largest economy in the world
Fact-check
According to a statement from the state governor’s office in April 2025, the state ranked as the “4th largest economy” based on nominal gross domestic product (GDP). California’s GDP hit $4.10 trillion (£3.08 trillion) in 2024, surpassing Japan, which was marked at $4.01 trillion (here, here, and here).
“According to the IMF’s 2024 World Economic Outlook data released yesterday, and BEA data California’s nominal GDP reached $4.1 trillion, surpassing Japan’s $4.02 trillion, and placing California behind only the United States, China, and Germany in global rankings. California’s GDP figure is based on the latest state-level GDP data from the BEA,” the statement noted.
Verdict:
The claim is rated false because it is the fourth largest economy in the world, not 6th.
Claim 3
California is the richest state in America
Fact-check
We fact-checked this claim by analysing the 2025 GDP records of the 50 states in the US. California came atop with the highest GDP, followed by Texas and New York. Below is a table of the top 10 richest states by GDP.
| State | GDP | |
| 1 | California | $4.25 trillion |
| 2 | Texas | $2.9 trillion |
| 3 | New York | $1.89 trillion |
| 4 | Florida | $1.39 trillion |
| 5 | Illinois | $913.7 billion |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $818.8 billion |
| 7 | Ohio | $734.4 billion |
| 8 | Georgia | $710.4 billion |
| 9 | Washington | $718 billion |
| 10 | New Jersey | $688 billion |
Verdict:
The claim that California is the richest state is true.
