CYCLONE KENNETH TOO SPREADS DEATH AND DESTRUCTION JUST WEEKS AFTER IDAI DEVASTATED BEIRA
(Posted 26th April 2019)
For the first time since modern day record keeping has a hurricane strength cyclone hit the northern Mozambique coastline around the Cabo Delgado province.
While raging over the Comores have at least 3 people there died, many more were injured and the level of property destruction and damage to infrastructure was described as ‘heavy‘.
Kenneth then made landfall yesterday evening in Mozambique some 100 kilometres north of Pemba and windspeeds recorded reached a maximum of 200 kilometres per hour before later on reducing. This figure is equivalent to a category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean.
Storm surges hit the coast line of both northern Mozambique and southern Tanzania, measured to be over 5 metres high, causing severe damages to fishing communities along the affected coast line. Drenching rainfall was reported all the way to Mtwara in Tanzania and even beyond.
Mozambique is almost 6 weeks after Cyclone Idai hit the country still struggling to return to normality in the affected areas and emergency services and logistical services continue to be overstretched, depending on foreign aid for food supplies, medical assistance and air transport capacity.
Local airports have been closed for airtraffic and between 700.000 and a million people are said to be affected by this latest cyclone hitting Mozambique.
