Tropical Cyclone “Ava” reached a peak intensity of 167 km/h (103 mph), an equivalent to Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, just hours before it made landfall over Toamasina, Madagascar on January 5, 2018. Heavy rain was falling across northern Madagascar since January 3 and increased with the landfall, producing deadly floods and landslides. “On a national scale, the provisional toll is 29
dead, 22 missing, 17 170 displaced and 83 023 affected,” the National Bureau for Risk and Catastrophe Management (BNGRC) said in a statement. There are no less than 20 000 extensive damage claims. Among the worst hit areas are the capital Antananarivo, where more than 3 200 people were evacuated from their homes. The center of the cyclone has now left the island nation and there are no more alerts in effect. READ MORE
