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By Reuters 
9h ago
Johannesburg – High winds and heavy rains destroyed thousands of buildings, ruined crops and displaced nearly 7,000 people in Mozambique over the weekend, authorities said in their first detailed report on the disaster.
Tropical cyclone Eloise struck Mozambique’s coastal province of Sofala on Saturday morning before weakening and heading inland to dump rain on Zimbabwe, eSwatini, formerly known as Swaziland, and South Africa.
Authorities initially said that Eloise had caused only minor damage in the Mozambique port city of Beira, but that it was too early to assess the full extent of the damage in the rest of the region.
On Sunday, Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (INGD) said investigations had shown that Eloise had injured 12 people and displaced 6,859. The Buzi district of the region had been particularly affected with winds of up to 150 kilometers per hour.
“Families are in urgent need of essential supplies such as food, water, blankets and shelter,” said Marcia Penicela, ActionAid Mozambique project director, speaking from Beira.
“With the flooding and power lines down in Buzi, the challenge now will be to reach those most in need,” he added.
Eloise ruined 136,755 hectares of crops, destroyed nine schools and damaged another 17 schools and 11 hospitals, INGD said in a statement.
It had completely destroyed 1,069 houses, partially destroyed 3,343 and flooded another 1,500, the agency added.
Later, Eloise weakened and was downgraded to a tropical storm, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
On Sunday it moved from Zimbabwe to dump heavy rains in some areas of the South African provinces of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Kwa-Zulu Natal, authorities said. eSwatini was also experiencing rain.
“So far, the highest amount we have recorded is between 115 and 128mm of rain in Limpopo, especially in the northeast,” Puseletso Mofokeng, senior forecaster with the South African Weather Service, told Reuters.
Floods had hit the lower Limpopo and Mpumalanga Plains, and winds had blown away the roofs of houses and toppled trees, blocking roads, he said.
Parts of those provinces are likely to experience another 100mm of rain tonight and more rain on Monday, he added.
Heavy rains were also recorded in eastern and southeastern parts of Zimbabwe on Saturday, filling most of the dams and flooding some rivers. At least three people were swept away when they tried to cross flooded rivers in eastern Zimbabwe, authorities said.
Reuters
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