Cyclone Dineo Update: Photos Show Devastation From Deadly Storm In Mozambique
A deadly cyclone in Mozambique this week killed seven people, injured dozens and leveled 20,000 homes along the African coast. Cyclone Dineo, which has since been downgraded to a tropical depression, continued to flood South Africa Friday with eight crop-threatening inches of rain as the countries in the storm's wake attempted to recover, the Herald Live reported.
"We are again appealing to residents to stay close to their radios as disaster management teams will also be keeping a close eye on the vulnerabilities of different areas," meteorologist Lulama Menze told the Citizen. "We want to reiterate that the effects of the storm will still be felt, despite it having weakened."
Dineo, a hurricane that produced winds up to 100 mph, made landfall on Mozambique's coast Wednesday night, bringing with it rough sea conditions and several thunderstorms. Though areas like the Gaza province didn't suffer much from the bad weather, the Mopani district in the Limpopo province was forced to cancel school and the Inhambe province saw more than 100,000 people impacted by the storm, according to Herald Live. NASA could even spot Dineo from space.
As the weekend got underway, parts of the storm were expected to move into Botswana, the South African Weather Service wrote in a news release.
"The vortex of ex-Dineo is becoming more indistinct as the system weakens," the service wrote. "Notwithstanding this weakening trend, the system will still pose a great risk for the next 36 to 48 hours, particularly in terms of further exceptionally heavy rainfall and resultant flooding ... By Saturday, patches of heavy rain occurrence could even persist over the northern parts of Namibia and Botswana respectively."
The biggest concern coming out of Dineo was flooding, especially given the flat land areas in Mozambique's southern region. The flooding could not only affect crops but also "result in damage to roads and bridges, thus cutting off communities, displace others and straining the emergency services," South Africa's Department of Cooperative Governance told News 24 in a statement.
People faced with floods should not try to walk or drive through them. They should also avoid drinking floodwater, as it could be polluted, and turn off electrical devices so as to prevent electrocution.
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