Cyclone Giovanna causes damage in Madagascar

1 March 2012

Madagascar continues to suffer from the weather with its second killer storm this season...

Updated on 7th March

Tropical Storm Irina has killed at least 65 people in Madagascar. Following in the wake of Cyclone Giovanna which killed 35 people in the east of the country, Irina has ravaged the south eastern coast, leaving many people injured or missing, and almost 250,000 people homeless. Many of the victims were from the Ifanadiana district which is still recovering from Tropical Storm Hubert in 2010 and Cyclone Bingiza in 2011.

Irina has since moved on to Mozambique, killing at least one person, and South Africa, where waves were over 3 metres high and boats have been banned from leaving port.

3rd March

The island of Madagascar was hit by the category 4 cyclone, Giovanna, on February 14th. Giovanna affected areas of high population density including Antananarivo, Ambatolampy and Toamasina where winds reached 180km/h and heavy rainfall was recorded.

The most severe damage occurred in the eastern coast areas of Moramanga, Brickaville and Vatomandry. The cyclone destroyed more than 3000 homes and, to date, 23 people are known to have been killed by the natural disaster, although this figure is expected to rise further. Over 60 people were injured.

Much of the eastern coast had little warning the cyclone was about to arrive as power lines had been down for a fortnight before the cyclone hit. Local water pumps have been damaged and food supplies are running low in some area.

A local education officer stated that there were a total of 774 classrooms in the affected area. A full inspection of these classrooms has not been completed but, to date, 275 are known to have been destroyed with 107 suffering substantial damage. A hospital and four medical centres have also sustained serious damage.

Advice for those travelling to or working in the areas affected:

Vaccines recommended:

Diphtheria & Tetanus
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
MMR (Measles, mumps and rubella) – all travellers born between 1970 and 1980 should check they have a history of having had measles or have received the measles vaccine or MMR
Rabies
Typhoid

Malaria prevention medication:

Atovaquone/Proguanil (Malarone) OR
Doxycycline OR
Mefloquine (Lariam)

Other advice and guidance

There is a risk of leptospirosis in these flood-affected areas

After floods and heavy rains the incidence of malaria, dengue fever and other insect-borne diseases can sometimes increase. Please seek further advice if you plan to travel in the coming weeks.
We recommend that you take a diarrhoea treatment kit with you if are involved in the aid effort in the flood-affected areas.

For further information read the following pages on our Travel Health Advice Centre:

Diarrhoea and dysentery
Flooding related health dangers
Insect protection
Leptospirosis
Malaria fact sheet
Madagascar country profile

Sources: Relief web, BBC News online