3. - usaid

IIESCFUPTION OF THE DISASTER
Cyclone "Dany" with its high velocity winds and heavy rains struck first
the east coast of Madagascar in the area between Mahanoro and Vangaindrana
on February 5. For four
days it beat a path of destruction
on the island
--stretching in a southwesterly
direction across the hiah
plateau, and thmugh the
river valley of the Mango@
River, which flows into the
Mozambique Channel on the
west coast of Madagascar,
mid-way between Tulear and
Morondava.
Nosy Varika
Heavy flooding occurred in
the wake of the cyclone as
far north as Majunga and as
far south as Fianarantsoa
and Ihosy.
The town of Nosy Varika (population 1,200) was the most severely affected.
Its flirnsy wooden houses were flattened by the wind. Concrete'build~
were left without roofs. The tom was swept by a wall of sea water and
was alnw>st totally destroyed. Other villages in the same redm had a
similar degree of destruction.
Damage on the west coast
resulted principally fram floods
in the Mangoky River Basin
and were attributable to heavy
rains in and near Fianarantsoa
at the river's source in the
high plateau, Overflowing its
banks, the river flooded the
lowland plain, exten- as
far as 10-20 miles beyond the
river bank in each direction.
Other areas which suffered
heavy flood damage included
ManaqJary and Manakara on the
east coast and Mode and
Morondava on the west coast.
Nosy Varika
In Manakara, sane 5,000 people
were affected by floods which
caused water levels to rise about 60 centimeters above the record levels of
the 1945 floods.
Outbreaks of dysentery, measles and bronchitis increased following the
cyclone, especially in isolated inland villages.