Storm Cheneso claims 3 in Madagascar
The damage may not be over with Tropical Storm Cheneso, which crossed Madagascar over the weekend after making landfall on Thursday. The storm is now re-emerging over the Mozambique Channel but is moving slowly, adding to the threat of flash flooding, heavy seas and storm-related landslides.
The National Bureau of Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) in Madagascar says the storm made landfall on the northeast coast of the Indian Ocean island nation, north of Antalaha, with winds of 106 kilometers per hour. At least three people have died and another six are missing, with 7,240 people displaced and more than 13,000 affected.
The storm damaged schools, roads and crops, said BNGRC. Travel was cut off due to flooding as river waters rose.
Cheneso also is a hard storm to forecast, with some meteorologists warning the storm has the potential to re-intensify over water. It could pose a threat to Mozambique, but there are wide variations in forecast model data about the storm’s strength and track.
The Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INAM) in Maputo is monitoring the storm but has not yet issued any warnings for Mozambique.
An active cyclone season is expected in Mozambique due to warmer than average sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the Mozambique Channel. Five to seven tropical storms and cyclones are expected between December 2022 and April 2023, according to the World Food Program, with up to four expected to be major cyclones of Category 3 or higher.
Image: BNGRC
Laureen Fagan
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Laureen is a freelance journalist creating high-quality, informed content on international affairs, politics and technology. She has worked both in and out of newsrooms since 2000. She is a former paramedic with significant experience in community resilience and nonprofit community development initiatives, and maintains "a passion for action" on sustainability and climate change. She also is trained in conflict resolution and diversity, and has special interests in science and medical reporting, and culture and religion issues. Laureen received her MSJ from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in the United States, and completed additional graduate study in theology at University of Notre Dame. Follow Laureen on Mastodon at @laureen@m.ai6yr.org
