East Africa cyclone

This item appears on page 18 of the May 2019 issue.

Cyclone Idai struck the coast of Mozambique on March 15, hitting the city of Beira (pop. 530,000) with winds over 100 miles per hour. The storm killed more than 500 people there, with the death toll estimated to top 1,000 as recovery efforts continue. Homes and bridges were destroyed, and the entire city was left without electricity or clean water. The storm caused a dam to collapse, wiping out the only road into the city.

The storm continued to Zimbabwe and Malawi, killing at least 89 and 56 people, respectively, and causing further wind damage and flooding.

After the storm, more than 500 cases of cholera had been reported as of press time, with one death.