There are moments when the ocean’s rhythm feels distant and hushed, and then there are times when that same rhythm returns with a force that seems to carry both the memory of calm and the promise of upheaval. Cyclone Gezani was such a visitor — a sweep of wind and rain that brushed first across Madagascar and then moved toward the shores of southern Africa, touching Mozambique’s southeastern coast. In its passage, it reminded many of the delicate balance between nature’s quiet and nature’s roar, and the ways in which coastal communities stand between both.
In the island nation of Madagascar, the storm was at its most ferocious when it struck the eastern port city of Toamasina, where houses and neighbourhoods once stood as familiar places of daily life. Winds that exceeded 195 kph encountered buildings and trees, ripping roofs from homes and downing power lines, leaving large parts of the city without electricity and water. In the immediate days of aftermath, more than 36 people were confirmed killed and hundreds injured as communities tried to come to terms with the wind’s passage and the flooding that followed.
Madagascar’s authorities declared a national disaster as the storm unwrapped devastation that extended far beyond Toamasina’s streets. Nearly 18,000 homes were destroyed and tens of thousands more damaged; public buildings and basic infrastructure showed the scars of intense rain and gusts that transformed familiar spaces into unstable ground. Families were displaced, seeking safety in temporary shelters or the homes of relatives, and the government’s call for solidarity with international partners underscored the scale of recovery that lay ahead.
For those living in Mozambique’s Inhambane Province, the storm did not bring the same ferocity of landfall that Madagascar experienced, but its effects were nonetheless real. Trees were brought down by stiff winds, power lines snapped, and water services were interrupted in several districts. Official reports confirmed at least four deaths linked to the storm’s passage along the coast, with some attributed to falling trees and lightning, as families took shelter or tried to secure properties before the worst had passed.
Throughout the region, the cyclone season is a familiar rhythm of life — an annual turn in the calendar that carries both forecast terminology and lived experience. Yet the proximity of one storm to another, the lingering memory of earlier flooding, and the stories of homes rebuilt only recently have made this season feel heavier for many. Aid groups and governments alike spoke gently but urgently of the need for clean water, food supplies, rebuilding materials, and coordinated response strategies, as people sought to mend the fabric of daily life across coastlines and valleys.
As the winds settled and communities began to measure loss and envision repair, authorities in both Madagascar and Mozambique focused on the work ahead — restoring electricity, clearing roads, and assessing what infrastructure must rise stronger than before. In the wake of Cyclone Gezani’s passage, the news from the ground is not breathless or sharp, but steady, as those affected slowly trace the line between tragedy and recovery, reminded once again of the ocean’s mighty influence on life ashore.
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Verified News Sources (No URLs, per your instruction) Al Jazeera (global news coverage of storm’s impact) Reuters (international reporting on storm and fatalities) Associated Press (detailed reporting on Madagascar destruction) Africanews / AFP (regional updates including deaths and displacement) Xinhua (coverage of storm’s movement in Mozambique)