Mozambique : "We keep going round until everyone knows a cyclone is coming"
With the start of "cyclone season" only a month away, Arlinda Cunah, 34, who lives in the village of Chilembende, runs through the emergency drill with community volunteers.
"When there are cyclones I listen to the radio and wait for news. First I listen alone, and if there are any alerts I call people who are nearby, like my neighbours, and we listen to the warnings together.
"We then warn the community leader - that's where we keep the cyclone early warning flags, the whistles and a bicycle. We then go out and warn the population that a cyclone is coming so that they can take shelter.
"If the warning tells us the cyclone is two days away we use the blue warning flag; and this yellow one is used when we have only one day to prepare. This one means urgent - it's red.
"The population now knows how to react. When we get a warning we move through the community with our whistles and flags. The bicycle is good because we can get to everyone quickly, and we keep going round until everyone knows a cyclone is coming.
tdm/he
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