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Vilankulo: Houses and public buildings affected as Filipo makes landfall in Mozambique – Mayor
11:58 CAT | 12 Mar 2024
Image via Samantha Meyrick on Facebook
Severe tropical storm ‘Filipo’ hit the city of Vilankulo in southern Mozambique this morning, affecting hundreds of houses and also several public buildings, in addition to leaving several roads impassable, city mayor Joaquim Quinito Vilanculos told Lusa.
“We could be talking about hundreds of affected houses, which were left without roofs, because it is there in the neighbourhoods that the situation is most complicated. We are carrying out a survey, but we also have several public buildings affected,” the president of the municipal council of Vilankulo in Inhambane province said
As an example of the destruction caused by the storm, with heavy rain and wind since early Monday night, the mayor points to the case of the municipal stadium, which was left without a roof and with the stands partially destroyed.
“It was the only stadium we had. But the Attorney General’s district headquarters was also left without a roof, as well as other buildings. We are still on the ground [looking], not to mention the roads, such as the marginal road, which is impassable,” Vilanculos also reported.
“We are in need of support,” he emphasized, reporting that the bad weather abated early this morning.
Mozambican authorities estimate that around 525,000 people could be affected by severe tropical storm ‘Filipo’, which is lashing central and southern Mozambique with strong winds and rain.
“It is estimated that around 525,000 people, 856 schools and 145 health units could be affected [by the storm],” Paulo Tomás, spokesperson for the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD), said on Monday evening during a joint press conference with the National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) and the Directorate of Water Resources (DNGRH) in Maputo.
Severe tropical storm ‘Filipo’ was forecast to hit the provinces of Sofala, in central Mozambique, and Inhambane, Gaza and Maputo in the south of the country by Wednesday, with winds of 90 to 120 kilometres per hour.
“When it hits the continent, this intensity will reduce and it will become a tropical depression, dropping a lot of rain on the regions indicated,” INAM spokesperson Manuel Francisco said, adding that the storm would hit the south of the country with greater intensity.
The Mozambican authorities also warned of the possibility of floods and urban flooding with the potential to affect road traffic, mainly in the interior of Gaza and Inhambane provinces.
“There is also a greater probability of flooding of agricultural land, especially in the lower Incomáti and Limpopo [basins], so we would advise farmers to remove machinery from the banks of the rivers,” said the DNGRH’s Agostinho Vilanculos.
INGD, INAM and DNGRH yesterday jointly called for all precautionary measures in the face of bad weather to be taken, noting that search and rescue means and teams and emergency kits had already been positioned, in addition to safe places for provisional accommodation for victims having been identified and prepared.
At least 115 people have died and 55,494 have been affected by bad weather in Mozambique since the start of the 2023/2024 rain-and-cyclone season in October.
Mozambique is considered one of the most severely affected by climate change in the world, facing seasonal floods and tropical cyclones during the rainy season, which runs between October and April.
The 2018/2019 rainy season was one of the most severe in memory in Mozambique: 714 people died, including 648 victims of cyclones Idai and Kenneth, two of the biggest ever to hit the country.
Latest on #Filipo:
* In last 12h, Filipo evolved to severe tropical storm.
* Landfall through Inhambane province, Inhassoro district at 5am today, 12 March
* High levels of precipitation in Inhambane in past 24h
* In next 24h, system will move southeast, likely losing strength. pic.twitter.com/7y25K2QDT3— Guy Taylor (@guy_taylor) March 12, 2024
Source: Lusa
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