About two days after the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (MET) issued a severe warning on Tropical Cyclone Jude that made landfall in Mozambique on Monday, Malawians have started feeling its impact.
Spot-checks in some of the districts that MET forecasted would be most affected found that Zomba and Mulanje were the most hard-hit areas as at 4 pm yesterday.
In Mulanje, Traditional Authority (T/A) Nkanda was a hard-hit area in the district, while T/A Mlumbe was the most affected area in Zomba.
In an interview yesterday, Zomba district commissioner (DC)Reinghard Chavula said two key bridges in Chingale on the Lirangwe-Namatunu-Machinga road have been washed away following the impact of Tropical Cyclone Jude, rendering the road, already in a dilapidated state, impassable.
She said besides the two bridges, some crops have also been washed away, but could not quantify the number of hectares affected.
“Of course, we are yet to document everything since the rain is ongoing. But some of the rivers, particularly in Chingale, have flooded. This has resulted in some crops being washed away,” said Chavula.
Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula indicated that floods induced by Cyclone Jude have so far affected about 172 households, representing around 774 people in Mulanje.
“Out of the affected people, 562 have been displaced and have sought refuge at Sadibwa Church of Christ. We have made arrangements for urgent provision of relief assistance,” he said.
Unlike in Zomba and Mulanje where Cyclone Jude has wreaked havoc, the situation in other districts such as Phalombe, Blantyre, and Chikwawa was a bit different as no injuries, damage, or losses were reported as at 4 pm yesterday.
However, Blantyre DC Alex Mdooko indicated that some trees fell on some roads in the district, but were cleared a few hours later.
According to Dodma, 16 districts in the country were expected to be affected by Cyclone Jude from yesterday.
The districts include Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Dedza, Machinga, Mangochi, Mulanje, Mwanza, Neno, Nsanje, Ntcheu, Phalombe, Salima, Thyolo, and Zomba.
MET director Lucy Mtilatila yesterday said Malawi was still a danger zone despite the cyclone having slowed down and weakened.
