A month of intense rainstorms and two tropical cyclones has led to widespread flooding.
Tropical Cyclone Batsirai swept over the Indian Ocean and into central and southern Madagascar on February 5–6, 2022, bringing torrential rain, flooding, and high winds. The storm devastated entire villages, killing at least 120 people and leaving tens of thousands displaced, according to the country’s Office of Risks and Disasters.
The cyclone came just two weeks after the island nation was struck by Tropical Storm Ana, which followed a series of heavy rainstorms in mid-January. Flooding and landslides killed at least 58 people and displaced more than 70,000.
Batsirai made landfall on February 5 on the southeast coast near Mananjary as a category 3 storm with sustained winds of 165 kilometers (105 miles) per hour and gusts up to 230 kilometers (145 miles) per hour. Heavy rain continued to fall on February 7–8 as the storm moved over the island and off to the southwest.
Continue reading at NASA Earth Observatory
Image via NASA Earth Observatory
