After a major tropical cyclone which made landfall last week and churned for days off the Madagascar’s western coast, official statistics reveal that more than twenty Madagascans have died and tens of thousands have been rendered homeless.
Ten days ago, Cyclone Cheneso struck northeastern Madagascar, bringing with it strong winds and precipitation that led to widespread flooding.
Over the course of the week, it moved southeast, causing more damage to homes, schools, and several major roadways.
An update from Madagascar’s Office for Risk and Disaster Management on Sunday January 29 stated that 25 individuals are now known to have died and another 21 are still missing.
At least 83,181 people have been affected, with nearly 38,000 displaced from their homes.
The emergency management office stated in an earlier report on Friday night that more than 23,600 homes were flooded and at least 500 others were completely destroyed.
Cheneso, which briefly intensified to a tropical cyclone in recent days with winds of 118-166km/h (73-103 mph), “has started to lose its purely tropical characteristic”, according to the Southwest Indian Ocean Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre based on the French overseas island of La Reunion.
Cheneso made landfall on January 19, packing winds of up to 110kmph (68.3mph).
It is the first tropical storm of the current cyclone season in Southern Africa which typically runs from November to April to hit the cyclone-prone large Indian Ocean island.
In recent years, Mozambique and Madagascar have frequently been struck by powerful storms and cyclones that have destroyed homes, infrastructure, and crops and displaced large numbers of people.
Four major storms that slammed Madagascar in January and February of last year killed at least 138 people, destroyed 124,000 dwellings, and forced the relocation of around 130,000 people.
Author- Roberta Appiah
