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ACAPS Briefing note – Mozambique: Impact of Tropical Cyclone Eloise (17 February 2021)

Pays
Mozambique
Sources
ACAPS
+ 1
Date de publication

Tropical Cyclone Eloise reached the coast of Mozambique on 23 January, with winds of around 140km/h and gusts of up to 160km/h (category 2 tropical cyclone equivalent). It affected Sofala, Manica, the southern part of Zambezia, Inhambane, and Gaza provinces (Protection Cluster 31/01/2021; INGD 23/01/2021). The epicentre of the cyclone hit Buzi district and brought heavy rainfall that caused Chicamba Dam and Mavuzi Reservoir to overflow.

The resulting flooding affected the residents of Vila Sede, Guara-Guara, Ampara, Grudja, Estaquinha, Inhamuchindo, and Bândua localities in Buzi district (DTM, INGD 31/01/2021). Other affected districts are Dondo Nhamatanda and Chibabava in Sofala (DTM, INGD 05/02/2021). Tropical Cyclone Eloise has led to the deaths of 11 people (ECHO 29/01/2021).

Cyclone Eloise affected 314,000 people, including more than 20,012 people who are living in 31 temporary accommodation centres in Sofala and Inhambane provinces (30 centres in Sofala and one in Inhambane) (DTM, INGD 05/02/2021; OCHA 29/01/2021). 29,310 houses were affected: 17,738 were destroyed, 8,565 were damaged, and 3,007 were flooded, mainly in Sofala province. At least 579 classrooms and 86 health centres will need repairs (DTM, INGD 31/01/2021; Protection Cluster 31/01/2021; OCHA 29/01/2021).

Prior to Eloise, heavy rains had already affected at least 3,917 hectares of farmland in Buzi district. 242,000 hectares of crops were destroyed in areas hit by Eloise (IFRC 12/02/2021; IFRC 29/01/2021; DTM, INGD 31/01/2021). The priority needs reported in all of the accommodation centres are food, followed by water and shelter (DTM, INGD 31/01/2021).

From 9 January until 23 January when Eloise made landfall in Mozambique, the provinces of Inhambane, Manica, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, and Zambezia received heavy rains (IFRC 22/01/2021). Sofala province and the entire Zambezi Basin also experienced heavy rainfall, strong winds, and flooding prior to Eloise. The districts hit hardest by the heavy rains were Beira (neighbourhoods Mungassa and Ndunda I e II), Buzi, Muanza, Caia, Dondo, Marromeu, and Nhamatanda. The pre-cyclone rains affected more than 21,500 people and more than 1,900 houses (ECHO 23/01/2021; OCHA 22/01/2021).