Tropical Cyclone Gezani has made landfall in Madagascar, causing widespread destruction and claiming the lives of at least 9 people in the port city of Toamasina.
The cyclone, with sustained winds of 185 km/h and gusts reaching 270 km/h, has injured 19 people and forced the evacuation of nearly 1,500 residents.
The cyclone’s powerful winds have ripped metal sheeting from rooftops, uprooted large trees, and left neighborhoods without power. “I have never experienced winds this violent,” said Harimanga Ranaivo, a resident of Toamasina. “The doors and windows are made of metal, but they are being violently shaken.”
Gezani is the second cyclone to hit Madagascar this year, following Tropical Cyclone Fytia, which killed 14 people and displaced over 31,000.
The country’s National Bureau for Risk and Disaster Management had warned of rising sea levels and flooding in Toamasina ahead of the cyclone’s arrival.
As of Wednesday morning, Gezani had weakened to a moderate tropical storm and was moving westward inland, about 100 km north of the capital, Antananarivo.
The meteorological service expects the storm to continue weakening and move out to sea into the Mozambique Channel by evening.
The government has shut down schools and opened emergency shelters to provide relief to those affected.
The international community is also providing support, with the UN’s humanitarian office coordinating efforts to respond to the disaster.
