Cyclone Sagar Leaves Trail of Destroyed Homes, Major Flooding in Wake

Written by Team Morecast

 

For just the third time in more than 50 years, a tropical cyclone has tracked through the western Gulf of Aden, the narrow body of water that separates the Horn of Africa from the Arabian peninsula. In fact, Cyclone Sagar, which made landfall in northwestern Somalia on Friday, was the westernmost on record. At the time of landfall, it was packing sustained winds up to 60 mph (100 kph). However, flooding rains were by far the most widespread and devastating result of the storm.

 

 

 

 

Bands of heavy rain swept over the coast and just inland starting mid-week from Yemen to Djibouti and northern Somalia. This is mostly a desert area, totally unaccustomed to seeing rains of this magnitude. In fact, the region is only just emerging from a severe three-year-long drought.

Rainfall amounts may have approached a foot (300 mm) in some areas. The resulting floods have displaced thousands of local residents and destroyed hundreds of homes. Livestock have been washed away and crops have been destroyed. At least 16 casualties have been reported in the Galbeed and Awdal districts of Somalia alone with that number likely to grow in the coming days. All this is occurring in a region racked with armed conflict and economic hardship which will severely handicap humanitarian relief efforts already underway.

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