Zimbabwe: At least 31 dead in Zimbabwe from Idai March 16 /update 5

Event

According to the Zimbabwe Ministry of Information, at least 31 people were killed following Tropical Depression Idai as of Sunday, March 16. Hundreds more are currently displaced, 40 wounded, and approximately 100 others are missing. President Emmerson Mngangagwa declared a state of emergency for eastern districts in the country. Infrastructure damage was reported Saturday evening (local time), including washed out roads, destroyed bridges, and damaged homes and hospitals. Transportation disruptions due to flooding, along with power and telecommunication outages are expected to persist in the coming days in eastern and northern Zimbabwe, particularly Manicaland province, as well as southern Malawi and central Mozambique, including Beira.

Context

The storm, which was the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane in the Mozambique Channel, passed over central Mozambique and into eastern and northern Zimbabwe on Saturday, March 16. Flooding from the storm has already resulted in the deaths of around 120 people in Malawi and Mozambique.

Advice

Individuals in the affected areas are advised to monitor local weather reports, adhere to instructions issued by local authorities, anticipate flooding and associated transportation disruptions, including road closures, and remember that walking or driving through running water can be dangerous - 15 cm (6 in) of moving water is enough to knock over an adult - and that floodwater may contain wastewater and chemical products; all items having come into contact with floodwater should be disinfected and all foodstuffs discarded.