Severe Tropical Storm “Filipo” strikes Mozambique

Severe Tropical Storm “Filipo” made landfall on the northeastern coast of Inhambane Province, Mozambique, close to Inhassoro City around 03:00 UTC on March 12, 2024. The storm brought over 150 mm (5.9 inches) of rainfall in 12 – 18 hours, destroying homes, schools, and electrical infrastructure, and leaving many in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

• The storm comes just a year after the Severe Tropical Cyclone “Freddy” ravaged several parts of Mozambique and Malawi, leaving millions of people without food, water, or shelter. The region was still recovering when Filipo made landfall.

Severe Tropical Storm “Filipo” struck the northeastern coast of Inhambane Province, Mozambique, near the city of Inhassoro, at approximately 03:00 UTC (05:00 LT) on March 12. The storm resulted in significant damage to homes, educational institutions, and electrical infrastructure within the landfall area, recording rainfall exceeding 150 mm (3.9 inches) in a span of 12 to 18 hours.

By 06:00 UTC on the same day, Filipo’s center was located 4 km (2.4 miles) south of Maimelane village, maintaining maximum sustained winds of 85 km/h (53 mph).

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) reported that over 525 000 people, 856 schools, and 145 health centers were located in the high-risk zones. Since the onset of the rainy season, the country has seen 55 494 individuals affected, with over 3 500 homes and 191 schools either partially or destroyed.

Despite weakening over land, Filipo persisted in delivering strong winds and substantial rainfall across the Inhambane and Gaza provinces.

Eletricidade de Moçambique (EDM) said that the storm left nearly 100 000 individuals without electricity, citing damage to the electrical grid, including fallen pylons, flooded equipment, and severed cables.

The southern region of Inhambane saw approximately 83 000 people without power, while the central and northern regions also experienced significant outages.

Muitas casas destruídas em #Inhambane na sequência da actuação da tempestade severa #Filipo. Maior parte era de construção precária. Muitos coqueiros 🌴 tombaram. #Moçambique pic.twitter.com/xsfrexC8Lq

— Alexandre Nhampossa (@AllexandreMZ) March 12, 2024

Muitas instâncias turísticas afectadas pela passagem da tempestade severa #Filipo em #Inhambane. Há zonas com comunicação telefónica interrompida. #Moçambique pic.twitter.com/W5HJWFovHF

— Alexandre Nhampossa (@AllexandreMZ) March 12, 2024

Carro é arrastado e capota, árvores 🌴 caem e ruas ficam intransitáveis, na sequência dos ventos fortes da tempestade severa #Filipo. O sistema poderá sair do continente na quinta-feira através da fronteira entre as províncias de #Maputo e #Gaza. #Mozambique pic.twitter.com/6QJ6o5YeuD

— Alexandre Nhampossa (@AllexandreMZ) March 12, 2024

So viaturas de suspensão alta circulam na cidade de #Maputo, e mesmo assim com dificuldades. As vias estão alagadas. Os sistemas de drenagem inoperacionais ha anos pioram a situação. As chuvas intensas da tempestade severa #Filipo estão a causar danos na capital. #Moçamhique pic.twitter.com/t8WxpbWleU

— Alexandre Nhampossa (@AllexandreMZ) March 12, 2024

Bairro da Liberdade, Matola, província de #Maputo. Situação dramática com chuvas e ventos fortes da tempestade severa #Filipo. Muitos carros arrastados. #Moçambique pic.twitter.com/6xFIkxObz0

— Alexandre Nhampossa (@AllexandreMZ) March 13, 2024

OXFAM’s assessments indicate that Filipo’s aftermath has severely hindered communication channels and placed hundreds of thousands in dire need of humanitarian aid.

The organization emphasized the compounded effect of consecutive disasters [Freddy in 2023 and Filipo in 2024] on communities’ ability to recover, noting the detrimental impact on agriculture from both prolonged dry spells and flash floods.

Severe Tropical Cyclone “Freddy” – one of the deadliest storms to hit the African continent in the last two decades – killed 1 434 people (most of them in Malawi), swept away entire villages, and forced thousands of people out of their homes. It affected more than 390 0000 ha (964 000 acres) of land, more than 132 000 houses were destroyed and approximately 67 000 were flooded. Some 123 health facilities and six water supply systems were affected or damaged along with 1 017 schools. The estimated loss and damage for both Malawi and Mozambique were USD 0.5 and USD 1.5 billion, respectively.

Freddy is both the longest-lasting and highest-ACE-producing tropical cyclone ever recorded worldwide, traveling across the southern Indian Ocean, Mozambique, and Madagascar for 37 days and producing 87.01 ACE units. Additionally, it is the third-deadliest tropical cyclone recorded in the Southern Hemisphere, only behind 2019’s Cyclone Idai and the 1973 Flores cyclone.

“Recurrent extreme weather means that governments are just unable to cope with skyrocketing needs. They cannot rehabilitate billions worth of damaged public infrastructure such as roads, schools, and hospitals due to a lack of resources,” OXFAM said.

Forecasts predicted up to 250 mm (9.8 inches) of rain in certain areas on March 12, with expectations for the storm to shift southeast and return to the Indian Ocean by March 14.

References:

¹ Tropical Storm “Filipo” heading toward Mozambique, landfall expected between Sofala and Inhambane – The Watchers – March 11, 2024

² Mozambique: Storm Filipo cuts power to almost 100,000 people – Club of Mozambique – March 12, 2024

³ Tropical storm Filipo hits Mozambique exactly one year after devastating Cyclone Freddy left millions of people in urgent need – Oxfam responds – OXFAM International – March 12, 2024

Featured image: Tropical Storm “Filipo” at 11:45 UTC on March 12, 2024. Credit: EUMETSAT/Meteosat-9, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers