Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Cyclone Dineo Aftermath: Cleanup Begins in Mozambique, Zimbabwe
By Andy Walker
20 February, 2017

Cyclone Dineo is no longer a threat to South Africa after the storm dissipated over Namibia this weekend. That doesn’t mean it didn’t have devastating effects for those in Mozambique, Botswana or Zimbabwe.

A number of Twitter users this weekend took to the social network to publish images of the aftermath of Dineo, as the storm swept through their neighbourhoods.

In total, at least seven people died as the result of the storm, with over 100 000 people affected in Mozambique alone. At least 20 houses have been damaged in South Africa. But numbers alone can’t reflect the true damage of a natural disaster.

Cyclone Dineo affected much of Mozambique and Zimbabwe, flooding much of both countries and leaving over 100 000 homeless in the former

Praia Do Toto in Mozambique’s tourist city Inhambane felt the brunt of the storm, with structural damage caused by stiff winds. The South African Weather Service predicted the eye of Dineo to pass directly over Inhambane last Wednesday.

Across the bay from Inhambane, the town of Maxixe also suffered extensive damage from Dineo.

Botswana experienced monsoon-like rainfall in the wake of Dineo’s passing, with rainfall amounts topping 200mm in some areas.

In Zimbabwe, Dineo also flooded much of the country’s drought-strickened areas. The Tsholotsho district in Matabeleland North was left reeling after crops and houses were destroyed by the storm. Bridges were also washed away.

Two other regions, namely Manicaland and Masvingo were also affected.

As for the country’s dams, Bulawayo’s city council tweeted that a number of its dams were spilling, with as much as 25% capacity gained in less than 12 hours.

It’s the first time the dam has spilled in over two decades, according to local Bulawayo media.

But Bulawayo’s city centre wasn’t exempt from adverse effects. One of the city’s eateries also collapsed, injuring a number of patrons. Although the cause is not yet understood, the weather could have played a factor.

Cleanup operations continue at the time of writing.

Feature image: Nacala, Mozambique (2007) by Stig Nygaard via Flickr (CC 2.0, resized)

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