Storm Eloise in Madagascar: the authorities recall the safety instructions
Cervo room (Center for study, reflection, monitoring and guidance), this Tuesday, January 19.
In front of his screen, a sigiste (person in charge of cartography within the geographic information and remote sensing system) analyzes the latest data transmitted by the general weather department.
© Sarah Tétaud / RFI
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Last night at 7:30 p.m., Madagascar was hit by Éloise, its second tropical storm of the season to hit Malagasy soil, less than a month after storm Chalane which had caused only slight damage in the north of the Isle.
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With our correspondent in Antananarivo,
Sarah Tétaud
This time, it was on the northeast coast of the island, in the Antalaha district known for its many vanilla producers, that the "strong tropical storm" landed yesterday, bringing with it gusts of wind. 140km / h and very heavy rain.
Its intensity dropped this morning, about ten hours after it landed.
Eloise is currently traveling at a speed of 15 km / h inland.
Within a radius of 100 km around the center of the storm, gusts of wind up to 100 km / h and torrential rains.
Floods are to be feared in the coming hours in the northern part of the country (in the Sava, Sofia, Boeny, Betsiboka and Melaky regions) since rainfall of more than 100 mm in 24 hours is expected today.
Andry Razafimandimby, director of Cervo (Center for study, reflection, monitoring and guidance) within the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management, recalls the usual safety instructions:
"To
follow the evolution of the situation, on the radio, on television or even the announcements made by SMS, to shelter the important documents like the civil states, to constitute strategic stocks of first necessity products like rice, oil, sugar, also shelter the small farm, evacuate if you feel that you live in a flood zone, and carefully observe the color of the flags (arranged in the quarters) which indicate the severity of the situation.
"
Civil Protection speedboats as well as the army have been pre-positioned to intervene in the event of evacuations of people.
The BNGRC, however, asks the Malagasy to remain on their guard despite being used to this kind of meteorological phenomenon.
300,000 people potentially affected
“
When passing through Chalane, we noticed that there was a little relaxation on the part of the population with regard to vigilance measures.
The BNGRC reiterates that these measures must always be respected and that each system has its own specificity, so we must always be vigilant at each passage of a cyclone.
"
Degraded weather conditions are expected on the north east and west coasts of the island throughout the day, with cyclonic swells reaching up to 6 m high on the Sainte-Marie and Antongil Bay side.
Storm Eloise is expected to leave the island Thursday morning, exiting west through the Melaky region.
Authorities estimate that at least 300,000 people are in the path of this cyclonic system and will be affected by winds and rains.
An aerial survey of the affected areas is scheduled for Thursday if the weather permits or Friday at the latest, to assess the needs of isolated populations.
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