CYCLONE INDLALA STRIKES MADAGASCAR - FIRST REPORT

UNCLAS ANTANANARIVO 000262 SIPDIS SIPDIS AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA-SKHANDAGLE, KLUU, GGOTTLIEB, AFERRARA, CPRATT FOR DCHA/FFP/DP - SDOSHANJH, PNOVICK AFR/EA - OCOLE STATE FOR AF/E, MBEYZEROV AND DMALAC STATE FOR CA/OCS/ACS/AF, RBRANSON PRETORIA USAID/OFDA/SARO - HHALE NAIROBI FOR USAID/EA/FFP - NESTES, DGORDON ROME FOR FODAG GENEVA FOR RMA, DHA, IFRC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV EAID PREL SOCI CASC MA SUBJECT: CYCLONE INDLALA STRIKES MADAGASCAR - FIRST REPORT ¶1. SUMMARY: Tropical cyclone Indlala struck the east coast of Madagascar early morning on March 15, with the city of Antalaha hardest hit. Due to the ongoing lack of communications, we do not have reliable information about casualties and property damage, but expect it may be considerable. Six AmCits - five Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) and one private American - are believed to be in the region. Post confirmed the safety of two of the PCVs as of the evening of March 14 and continues to reach out to confirm the safety of the other four AmCits. END SUMMARY. ¶2. Tropical cyclone Indlala made landfall on Madagascar's northeastern coast at Antalaha, a city of approximately 175,000 population, the early morning on March 15. Attempts to communicate with the city of Antalaha by telephone and shortwave radio have been unsuccessful, but Post is hearing initial reports of high winds, 36-foot storm wave surges, and power outages in Antalaha. One forecasting service suggested overnight winds of 125 knots offshore and 107 knots at landfall this morning. The national radio reported at 1230 that neighboring Maroantsetra is "badly damaged" with power outages, destroyed homes and felled trees; people are seeking shelter in schools and churches. The storm is expected to veer south west and dissipate fairly rapidly. Meteo France - a regional satellite weather station - has issued a warning for residents of Tamatave (further south along Madagascar's eastern coastline) through the next 24 hours, but contacts there report only heavy rain. ¶3. The Consular Section issued a warden message to AmCits at 0700 March 14. Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) in the neighboring cities of Vohemar, Diego Suarez and Andapa are accounted for and reporting only heavy rain. Post has had mixed success communicating with the six AmCits directly in and around Antalaha. Three are PCVs who are believed to be safe; two of them confirmed at 2230 March 14 they had moved into a strong cement shelter, and one who at 1200 on March 14 was known to be in the forest outside of Maroantsetra. Two additional PCVs outside of Maroantsetra have been unreachable. All five PCVs had been instructed earlier to report back the afternoon of March 15. Post has been unable to obtain any information on a sixth AmCit registered in Maroantsetra. Post will continue to seek information regarding their whereabouts and welfare as it becomes available. All other registered AmCits in the area are either in Diego Suarez in the north or Tamatave in the east - safely out of the storm's path for now. ¶4. With Madagascar still picking itself up after several cyclones already this season, as well as unusually widespread and prolonged heavy rains not associated with tropical storms, the government and relief agencies are stretched very thin. Harvests across the country have been devastated by flooding due to torrential rain in large areas of the northwest, west and southeast, as well as droughts in the south. Official estimates cite 33,000 people displaced and 90,000 hectares of agricultural land damaged. In addition, it now appears likely that Antalaha and its vicinity will require immediate relief after the storm passes. Post will continue to monitor the situation to assess the potential need for a disaster declaration. MCGEE