(Posted 02nd May 2024)
Torrential rains across parts of Eastern Africa cause havoc to infrastructure and has reportedly destroyed roads, bridges and homes.
Nairobi’s International Airport suffered massive flooding last weekend, bringing air traffie for a while to a complete standstill and causing flight diversions and flight cancellations.
In Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda have casualty numbers risen to a combined 350+ with many more people still reported missing while others suffered injuries.
Safari parks too suffered extensive floods and more rain is reportedly on the way, hampering the evacutation of staff and tourists from flooded areas, in some cases with airstrips under water necessitating helicopter rescues.
Meanwhile have dozens of tourists been evacuated by air – where airstrips were still operational and could be reached – from Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve after more than 15 hotels, lodges and tented safari camps were flooded as heavy rains battered the country and the wider region .
Tourist accommodation facilities were submerged after the main river in the Maasai Mara broke its banks on yesterday morning.
Across the border in Tanzania was the Julius Nyerere National Park, formerly known as the Selous Game Reserve, subject to extensive floodings too as the situational images belows show the difference in water levels of the Rufiji River from a year ago to today.
Image taken in 2024 May after the Rufiji River swell to near record levels after the heavy rains
Image taken in 2023 showing the Rufiji River after ‘normal’ rainfall
Reports are coming in from strife torn Somalia too of extensive floodings while emergency services are literally unavailable in many parts of the country due to insecurity, leaving thousands of people in dire need to assistance for food, water and medical supplies.
ATCNews expresses condolences and sympathy to those families across the region who suffered the loss of loved ones and are enduring ongoing flooding and the destruction of their properties.
