Meteorological reports predicted from as early as last year of an intensified Cyclone Eloise in Mozambique. The forecast came after the cyclone first hit Madagascar before crossing the Mozambican channel. Prediction reports revealed that hurricanes and heavy downpours would accompany the cyclone. And it would make landfall near Beira’s city, between Zambezi delta and Save river delta. As such, the residents should be prepared for floods and their impacts.
“By tomorrow, it will be an overland tropical depression. At that time, the speed will be 60 kilometers per hour,” she said.
But she added that the cyclone would bring light showers in northern South African provinces of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal from late afternoon.
Meanwhile, since Eloise Cyclone poses a severe threat to Mozambique’s coast, the government urged inhabitants to abide by local authorities’ warnings. It is not the first time Beira is experiencing a cyclone. In March 2019, the Idai cyclone caused devastation, which the country has not recovered from. On that day, about 1000 people from Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe died from the hurricane.
The Cyclone
Around 2:30 am today, Eloise cyclone made landfall in Mozambique, hitting the coastal city of Beira. It was accompanied by massive winds and heavy rains traveling at high speed. Residents were scared as the water started rising to their zones. However, as it progressed to other parts of the city, its strength started to wither.
“Eloise made landfall around 2:30 am with wind speeds of 160 kilometers per hour (99 miles per hour), ” said Mbazhi Maliage, a forecaster at the South African weather Service.
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Impacts Preceding the Cyclone
The coastal town of Beira was covered in water. Masses of land, cars, and buildings were submerged in water. Low lying buildings and walls collapsed. Electricity poles connecting various powerlines were all down. The cyclone had also disrupted the internet and mobile connections. Although the damage might not be as intense as the previous one, the disruption was quite significant.
The World Meteorological Organization tweeted on the same day that the cyclone had weakened to a tropical storm, which would cause heavy rains in Botswana and Zimbabwe. More reports predicted that the storm would weaken further as in entered parts of South Africa.
Response to the Cyclone
IOM personnel took charge amid the cyclone. They were more than prepared, equipped with food, non-food items, shelter, and specialists in cases of emergencies. The government had closed down the coastal city, rendering about 900 people homeless. Even though it was not an easy task for the IOM, they did their best to ensure those who needed assistance amid the cyclone received help. Meanwhile, the government assured those who had lost their abodes that they were working on identifying safe places for them.
The Rescue groups had evacuated over 3000 people from Buzi district, which is located outside Beira’s port city. Mozambique’s Disaster Risk Management Team considered that the best way to save the people from the floods. However, one person died during the cyclone.
