At Least 31 Dead and Dozens Injured After Devastating Cyclone Slams Island

Madagascar is reeling after Cyclone Gezani tore across the island with devastating force, leaving more than 30 people dead and thousands displaced.

The powerful storm made landfall late Tuesday, Feb. 10, packing winds of more than 121 mph as it slammed into the island nation, which is home to over 31 million people, according to reports from the Associated Press and Al Jazeera.

As of 4:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Feb. 11, Madagascar’s National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) confirmed 31 deaths. Twenty-nine of those were reported in Toamasina, the country’s second-largest city, and two in Ambatondrazaka.

Officials also said 36 people were injured, four are missing, and more than 6,800 residents have been displaced by the storm.

Images from Toamasina show residents surveying wreckage left behind by the cyclone. Homes have been damaged or destroyed, and the scale of destruction has left many stunned.

One resident described the impact to Al Jazeera as “monstrous.” Another local, identified only as Michel, told the AP that the island is facing widespread devastation.

“Roofs have been blown away, walls have collapsed, power poles are down, trees have been uprooted,” Michel said. “It looks like a catastrophic landscape.”

Harimanga Ranaivo told Reuters that the winds were unlike anything he had experienced before.

“I have never experienced winds this violent,” he said. “The doors and windows are made of metal, but they are being violently shaken.”

Power has been shut off in Toamasina since Tuesday, according to the AP, leaving many residents without electricity as emergency crews work to assess the damage.

Authorities have warned that the danger is not over. Al Jazeera reported that widespread flooding, flash floods, and landslides are highly likely as the storm continues pushing west.

Forecasts show Gezani moving into the channel between Madagascar and Africa’s east coast on Thursday, Feb. 12. The AP reported that the system could even regain strength and re-intensify into a tropical cyclone before potentially striking Madagascar’s southwest coast next week.

The storm marks the second major weather disaster to hit Madagascar in just two weeks. According to the United Nations humanitarian office, the previous storm, Tropical Cyclone Fytia, killed 14 people and displaced more than 31,000.

Now, communities across the island are once again picking up the pieces — bracing for more rain, more flooding, and the long road to recovery ahead.