More cyclone misery in Mozambique

A second cyclone in Mozambique killed at least 38 people, officials said Monday, as rising floodwaters left more than 160,000 people at risk. Cyclone Kenneth made landfall in the northeastern city of Pemba in Cabo Delgado province on Thursday with sustained winds of 136 mph. The United Nations said rainfall from the slow-moving cyclone could total more than 23.6 inches, nearly double the amount that flooded the port city of Beira during Cyclone Idai in mid-March.

In Pemba, the heavy rainfall caused mudslides that buried several people. Other hard-hit communities outside of Pemba remain cut off by the flood and overflowing rivers. Officials said the heavy rains also make air travel difficult. The Mozambican government said the storm partially or fully destroyed more than 35,000 homes in Cabo Delgado. More than 23,000 people already arrived at shelters.

Aerial photos taken on Saturday showed total devastation across several of the affected communities. “Not a single house is standing anymore,” said Saviano Abreu, a spokesman with the UN humanitarian agency.

This storm marks the first time in the country’s history that two cyclones made landfall in a single season. Communities in the central part of the country are still reeling from the effects of Cyclone Idai, which killed more than 600 people.