Cyclone Gezani has struck Madagascar with intense winds and heavy rain, causing significant damage to the country’s buildings, road systems, and utility services as it moves westward across the island nation from its initial impact on the eastern coast. The National Meteorological Service of Madagascar, Meteo Madagascar, has reviewed weather patterns in the country and indicates that there will be more rain and strong winds over the next several days in the country’s interior.

Source: X

Red Alerts Issued as Storm Moves Inland

In addition to the ongoing threat of flooding and the humanitarian needs resulting from the cyclone, the National Meteorological Service of Madagascar has issued red weather warnings across parts of the country affected by the cyclone (Analamanga, Betsiboka, Alaotra Magoro, Atsinanana, Analanjirofo), indicating that the likelihood of flooding, rapid flood events, and landslides will continue.

The weather service warned that conditions would only worsen overnight and into Wednesday, advising people in the hardest-hit areas to stay indoors. Rivers started rising, roads disappeared under water, and emergency crews braced themselves for the worst.

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Toamasina Takes the Full Force of the Storm

People in Toamasina, Madagascar’s big port city on the east coast, saw the cyclone’s fury up close, and whole neighborhoods took a beating. Roofs ripped off, homes smashed, streets turned into rivers, and power and phone lines were gone.

“It’s monstrous. Everything is devastated,” one resident told AFP. Even the sturdier buildings couldn’t hold up; walls collapsed, and water poured in everywhere. The CMRS forecasting center in Réunion said Toamasina faced the storm’s fiercest winds head-on.

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Among the Strongest Storms on Record

According to CMRS, the landfall of Gezani’s storm may be among the strongest observed in the region during the satellite era, comparable only to Cyclone Geralda, which struck the region in 1994 and claimed at least 200 lives. Although Gezani’s storm loses strength on land, the storm is expected to regain strength over the channel.

The new cyclone strikes just weeks after tropical cyclone Fytia hit northwestern Madagascar, killing 12 people and leaving over 31,000 homeless. Fytia destroyed thousands of homes, damaged many schools and health facilities, and contaminated water for human consumption. There were also warnings that Cyclone Gezani is expected to intensify as it approaches Mozambique, which may cause more damage in southern Africa. The government of Madagascar announced plans to dispatch officials to the affected areas, weather permitting.

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