16 die due to disasters, as MET predicts more floods
The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) says it has recorded 16 deaths from disasters since the onset of rains this season.
According to Dodma, the disasters, including floods, strong winds and hailstorms, have affected 17 585 households in 20 districts since last October.
In an interview on Monday, Dodma spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula said the disasters also damaged household property and displaced some victims.
“Since October 12 2017, 96 800 people in 17 585 households have been struck by disasters in Mchinji, Lilongwe, Dedza, Dowa, Ntcheu, Salima, Kasungu and Nkhotakota in the Central Region.
“In Southern Region, disasters have struck Blantyre, Mulanje, Zomba, Mwanza, Phalombe, Machinga, Mangochi and Chiradzulu, while the North has Chitipa, Rumphi, Karonga and Nkhata Bay as affected districts,” he said.
Khamula said Dodma was responding to the disasters with relief items and that it has so far reached out to 14 404 affected households with food and non-food items.
On Monday, Vice-President Saulos Chilima provided relief items to victims of flash floods in Lilongwe’s Ntandire area, which affected about 600 households.
Meanwhile, the Department of Meteorological Services and Climate Change (MET) has predicted heavy downpours this week which it said may lead to flooding in some parts of the country.
A statement signed by Climate Change and Meteorological Services director Jolamu Nkhokwe indicates that the heavy rains are due to combined effects of Congo air mass and Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and will affect Nkhata Bay and Karonga in the North, upland areas of Dedza and Dzalanyama in the Centre, and Shire Valley districts in the South.
“From Thursday March 8 to Sunday March 11 2018, most areas in the country are expected to experience widespread rainfall with locally heavy downpours due to thunderstorms infested with thunder, lightning and strong winds as an active and violent ITCZ and Congo air mass will continue to be in force affecting the weather over the country, enhanced by thermal effects due to heating by the sun in combination and orographic lifting effects over high ground,” reads the statement in part.
It further said the heavy downpours are likely to trigger floods in flood prone low lying areas aggravated by environmental degradation, poor drainage system and heavy downpours upland resulting in swelling of rivers due to siltation.
Asked what Dodma is doing to prevent loss of lives due to floods, Khamula said they always alert civil protection committees (CPCs), which are local structures involved in disaster risk management to alert communities.
“In addition, we use various channels, including social media, to relay weather information to the public and advise them to exercise caution depending on the weather forecast,” he said.
Khamula reiterated that the department has put in place measures to reduce the risk of natural disasters which, among other things, includes promoting community-based early warning systems.
