Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ocean since records began. Its 160mph winds resulted in at least 363 deaths, over
250,000 left homeless, and damage estimated at US$250 million. In 2005 cyclones
Ernest
and
Felapi
hit the Toliara region within five days of one another. The com-
bineddeathtollwas233.
Indlala
wasthenextmajorcyclone,resultingin276deador
missing after it struck the northeast coast in March 2007. Then in 2008,
Ivan
caused
devastation around Toamasina and Ile Sainte Marie, resulting in 93 fatalities and ren-
dering some 190,000 homeless.
It is often said that Madagascar's cyclone season is January to March and its cyc-
lone region is the east coast. In truth, although the east does suffer worst, cyclones
strike all parts of Madagascar and can hit anytime from October to May.
But the risk to tourists is much less than you might imagine. Bear in mind that the
majority of lives claimed by Madagascar's cyclones are lost at sea (109 of Gafilo's
victims died in the sinking of a single ferry) and almost all of the buildings destroyed
are huts constructed from natural materials rather than sturdy brick hotels. There is
usuallyseveralhours'ordays'warningofacyclone'sarrival.Neverembarkonaboat
journey if a cyclone may be approaching. In the unlikely event of being caught up in
a severe cyclone, take shelter inside a strong building well away from the sea or any
large trees.
To put the numbers of fatalities into perspective, for every cyclone death in Mada-
gascar, 300 people die from malaria. The real threat from a major cyclone is not in its
direct casualties but the many thousands who will suffer in the months that follow as
a result of the destruction of crops and infrastructure.
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