Cyclone Elita - Impact

Impact

The Mozambique National Institute of Meteorology advised people living in Nampula, Zambezia, Sofala, and Inhambane Provinces to make preparations for strong winds and rainfall. In Nampula province, over 2000 buildings were destroyed. The most severe damage was to generally poorly built houses in Memba, Nacala-a-Velha, Mogincual, and Nampula city. In the latter city, an Islamic school was badly damaged, and in Nacla-a-Velha survivors had to spend the night of January 29 in the open. All in all, Elita impacted four provinces of Mozambique. Much of the impact was along the coast from Inhambane to Nampula. The inflow of the storm brought moisture from the Intertropical Convergence Zone through Malawi, which produced heavy rainfall of over 150 mm (6 in); the rainfall destroyed more than 80 houses and a clinic in Karonga district. The storm brought rough seas, gusty winds, and some precipitation to the southwestern islands in Seychelles.

Upon making its first landfall on Madagascar, Elita dropped heavy rainfall along its path, peaking at 715 mm (28.1 in) including a 24 hour total of 222 mm (8.74 in) in Antsohihy. Wind gusts reached over 180 km/h (110 mph) in Mahajanga. The passage of the cyclone left 5,000 people homeless in the vicinity of its first landfall, with 90 percent of the buildings in northwestern Mahajanga Province damaged by the storm. At least two people were killed in the region. Throughout the country, Cyclone Elita destroyed or severely damaged 12,408 homes, which left 55,983 people homeless, primarily in Mahajanga and Toliara. This forced around 7,000 people to seek shelter in either stadiums or in the remaining standing buildings. Additionally, a total of 510 schools and hospitals received major damage. The cyclone affected five of the six provinces of Madagascar, with roads and power being severely disrupted in some areas; at least 39 bridges were damaged or destroyed. The cities of Maintirano and Soavinandriana were both severely damaged. In Midongy Atismo, heavy rainfall flooded 80% of the town's rice crop, and the corn and manioc crops were both similarly affected. These represent the staple foods of the population, and across the nation the storm damaged more than 450 km2 (170 sq mi) of agricultural land. Throughout Madagascar, the cyclone killed at least 33 people and injured 129 others.

The extratropical remnants of Elita produced rough seas and strong winds on Mauritius and Réunion island, which caused one ship to sink.