Cyclone Gezani: Madagascar is reeling after a powerful storm tore through the island nation, leaving at least 31 people dead and four missing, according to the National Bureau for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC).
Heavy Toll In Toamasina
Authorities said 29 deaths were reported in Toamasina, the country’s second-largest city, while two fatalities occurred in a neighbouring district. At least 36 people were seriously injured.
More than 2,740 residents were evacuated as the storm struck coastal areas late Tuesday before moving inland. In total, 6,870 people were displaced, and over 250,000 were classified as disaster-affected.
Residents described terrifying scenes as fierce winds battered homes. “I have never experienced winds this violent,” said Harimanga Ranaivo from Toamasina, adding that even metal doors and windows were shaken by the force.
The disaster marks the second major storm to hit Madagascar this year, coming just 10 days after another system left 14 dead and displaced more than 31,000 people, according to the UN’s humanitarian office.
What Is Cyclone Gezani?
Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Madagascar’s eastern coast on February 10, 2026, as an intense tropical system equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane. The storm packed sustained winds of around 185 kmph, with gusts reaching nearly 270 kmph.
Officials had closed schools and prepared emergency shelters ahead of landfall. Rising sea levels had already begun flooding streets in Toamasina before the storm intensified.
Widespread Destruction, Storm Weakens
Homes collapsed under the impact of strong winds, rooftops were ripped away, and power lines snapped, plunging neighbourhoods into darkness. Trees were uprooted and roads blocked by debris.
By Wednesday morning, Madagascar’s meteorological service reported that the system had weakened to a moderate tropical storm. It was moving westward across the central highlands, about 100 km north of the capital Antananarivo, and was expected to exit into the Mozambique Channel later in the day.
Rescue and relief operations remain underway as authorities assess the full scale of the damage.
