Description of the event
What happened, where and when?
Tropical Cyclone (TC) Freddy was one of the longest-lasting systems in the southern hemisphere. Freddy developed off the coast of Indonesia in early February and crossed the south Indian Ocean until it reached the areas around Mauritius and La Reunion. During its trajectory, TC Freddy reached the equivalent of a Category 5 Hurricane and was the first cyclone to reach this intensity in 2023.
After bringing intense rains and winds to the islands of Mauritius and La Reunion, TC Freddy made landfall on the eastern coast of Madagascar on 21 February 2023, at around 7 pm (local time). TC Freddy weakened from a category 4 cyclone into a category 3 ahead of landfall but hit Madagascar with sustained winds of 150 km/h. It made landfall just north of Manajary, and area that was hit and impacted by two tropical cyclones in Feb 2022 (Batsirai and Emnati) and by Cyclone Cheneso only a few weeks before (Jan 2023).
In anticipation of the landfall, the Government of Madagascar put seven (7) areas of the country into red alerts and 4 in yellow. In collaboration with Red Cross and other partners, it also evacuated thousands of vulnerable people from the coastal area, limiting the potential loss of life. As TC Freddy crossed Madagascar, it brought upon heavy rains and strong winds leading to flooding and widespread damage to houses and public infrastructure. TC Freddy exited Madagascar in the western coast, made its way across the Mozambique channel and reached Mozambique on 24 February as a Tropical Storm.