Deadly Cyclone Gezani devastates Madagascar

Strong winds and powerful surf left a trail of devastation across Madagascar as Tropical Cyclone Gezani slammed the island Tuesday, making landfall in the city of Toamasina, the nation’s main seaport. Disaster officials say 20 people were killed and 15 are still missing.

Gezani is the second cyclone in 10 days following Tropical Cyclone Fytia, which killed 14 and displaced more than 31,000.

“I have never experienced winds this violent,” resident Harimanga Ranaivo told Reuters. “The doors and windows are made of metal, but they are being violently shaken.”

Video and photos from BNGRC, the country’s National Office for Risk and Disaster Management, showed missing roofs, trees knocked over, crumbled walls, flooded roads and debris strewn around.

At landfall, Cyclone Gezani was equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale, with sustained winds around 115 mph and gusts up to 168 mph.

Although the country is no stranger to cyclones, a storm that strong had not made landfall within 50 miles of Toamasina since 1994. Cyclone Ava, which hit near the city in 2017, was a Category 2 storm.

“It’s not unusual for Madagascar to be impacted by a tropical cyclone this time of year,” AccuWeather Lead International Forecaster Jason Nicholls says. “We are in the heart of the Southern Indian Ocean tropical season, which runs from Nov. 1 to April 30.”

Gezani is the third cyclone to make landfall in the country since Jan. 20, worsening conditions for a national infrastructure struggling to recover.