Tropical Cyclone Gezani collapsed homes in Madagascar’s primary port metropolis and left a minimum of 31 folks useless because it crossed the Indian Ocean island with excessive winds and rain, authorities mentioned on Wednesday (February 11, 2026).
Madagascar’s climate service issued crimson alerts for a number of areas warning of potential floods and landslides because the storm made landfall late Tuesday with wind speeds of greater than 195 kph (121 mph). It then roared throughout the massive island of 31 million folks, lots of whom reside in poverty and have insufficient shelter from storms.
Madagascar is particularly susceptible to cyclones blowing in off the Indian Ocean and was battered by one other lethal cyclone lower than two weeks in the past.
The Nationwide Workplace for Danger and Catastrophe Administration mentioned constructing collapses prompted a number of the a minimum of 31 deaths, and a minimum of 36 different folks had been critically injured as Gezani made landfall within the jap metropolis of Toamasina. The company mentioned 4 folks had been lacking and greater than 6,000 folks had been displaced from their properties.
Folks survey the harm achieved by cyclone Gezina in Toamasina, Madagascar, on February 11, 2026
| Photograph Credit score:
AP
Toamasina, with round 300,000 residents, sustained extreme harm, residents advised The Related Press. The vast majority of the deaths had been in that area, authorities mentioned.
President Michael Randrianirina, who took energy in a navy coup in October, visited Toamasina to survey harm and meet residents, in accordance with movies posted on his workplace’s Fb web page. The movies confirmed flooded neighbourhoods, properties and retailers with home windows blown out and roofs blown off, and timber and different particles strewn throughout streets.
Randrianirina’s workplace mentioned round 75% of town’s infrastructure had been broken or destroyed.
“It is devastation. Roofs have been blown away, partitions have collapsed, energy poles are down, timber have been uprooted. It appears like a catastrophic panorama,” resident Michel, who gave solely his first title, mentioned by cellphone.
Energy has been reduce off in Toamasina since Tuesday (February 10).
Gezani on Wednesday (February 11) moved west throughout Madagascar, weakening to a tropical storm because it moved inland, in accordance with the nationwide climate service. The storm handed round 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of the capital, Antananarivo, one of many areas beneath a crimson alert warning for potential flooding.
Forecasts confirmed Gezani was anticipated to maneuver into the channel between Madagascar and Africa’s east coast on Thursday, and warned it’d strengthen right into a tropical cyclone once more and switch again towards Madagascar’s southwest coast subsequent week.
Authorities in Mozambique, the place devastating floods final month impacted greater than 700,000 folks, additionally issued climate alerts and warned that three of its coastal provinces on the Indian Ocean might really feel the consequences of Gezani if it strengthens once more.
Tropical Cyclone Fytia hit on January 31 and killed 14 folks in Madagascar and displaced greater than 85,000, in accordance with the catastrophe administration company.
The United Nations launched USD 3 million from its emergency response fund to assist Madagascar put together for the impacts of Gezani, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric mentioned Monday.
Cyclone season in Madagascar is from round November to March and brings repeated climate disasters to one of many world’s poorest international locations, which barely has time to get better earlier than one other hits.
Madagascar, the world’s fourth largest island, has been impacted by greater than a dozen tropical storms or cyclones since 2020. The United Nations Workplace for Catastrophe Danger Discount says they trigger an estimated $85 million value of injury to infrastructure annually that impedes the nation’s improvement.
Revealed – February 12, 2026 08:22 am IST