Recent Natural Disasters | Calamities | Hazards

January 24, 2021: Tropical Cyclone Eloise has claimed lives of nine people in Mozambique and three in Zimbabwe. Cyclone Eloise caused damage in in Beira, Manica, and Quelimane areas of  Mozambique. According to the Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD), the cyclone has damaged around 1069 homes, 11 hospitals and nine schools. Tropical Cyclone Eloise made landfall just south of the port city of Beira, Mozambique on January 23, 2021.  Eloise is the 5th named storm of the 2020/21 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season.

November 21, 2019: Lightning in Goromonzi, Mashonaland East region of Zimbabwe has claimed lives of three school children.  The lightning struck the children of the three Early Childhood Development (ECD) from Rusike Primary School at the time of returning back from school. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has issued a flood warning for the country's southern provinces for Wednesday. According to MSD, parts of Manicaland, Matabeleland South, Masvingo Provinces, as well as southern areas of Midlands Province, are forecast to receive heavier rains in excess of 50 mm in 24 hours. According to the Meteorological Department, lightning strikes normally kill up to 100 people each year, mostly rural children. Zimbabwe is even cited in the Guinness Book of World Records as the country where a single bolt of lightning claimed its largest number of victims. This occurred in a village near the eastern border town of Mutare in 1975 when 21

March 25, 2019: Volcano eruption at Bikita has feared people after villager interviewed by the Civil Protection Department CPD alleged that a fire was seen at the mountain top. A huge rock estimated to weigh between 10 and 15 tonnes fell from Mapadza Mountain in Bikita on Saturday,  Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) reported. The Civil Protection Department (CPD) in Masvingo has already dispatched a team to Bikita in Masvingo province to look the situation. No injuries have been reported. Related Post:  Lightning strike in Zimbabwe kills 7 including six children

March 4, 2017: Floods in Zimbabwe which started in December last year have claimed lives of 246 people, injured 128 people and made 2000 others homeless. The state-owned Herald newspaper reported that the Zimbabwean government has launched an international humanitarian appeal and seeking in excess of $100m to ease the burden the floods have brought. A national disaster has been declared. According to the Minister for local government Saviour Kasukuwere, floods have damaged 74 schools and burst 70 dams. 

At least three people died by the severe hailstorm in Bulilima district of Zimbabwe. Two children from Sevako Primary School and third from Ndolwane Primary school died due to the violent storm, Chronicle reported.

A single bolt of lightning has claimed lives of six children and a woman in Zimbabwe. The seven were sheltering in two thatched huts when the lightning struck in Mugwinyi village in Bikita districton Monday. The seven victims, most of them minors, were at their thatched homestead when a bolt of lightning "suddenly struck", killing them instantly, AllAfrica has written quoting the National police spokesperson, Charity Charamba.

A research article published in Journal of Disaster Risk Studies has shown the flood disasters leading to children’s poor academic performance in Muzarabani District of Zimbabwe. The natural disaster research has indicated that flood disasters cause loss of learning hours, loss of qualified personnel, outbreak of waterborne diseases, high absenteeism and low syllabus coverage leading to children’s poor academic performance. 

Floods in Zimbabwe have claimed lives of three children aged 9, 10 and 14 years. Police retrieved bodies of the children today who drowned in a flooded Mushawiri Dam, in Gutu, Masvingo yesterday. Other seven people have been rescued from the island along the Tugwe river, Chivi, in Masvingo, Bulawayo24 NEWS reported. The Metrological Services Department has also warned people to avoid open space and not to shelter under trees to avoid being struck by lightning. Civil Protection Unit had already issued a high flood alert in Zimbabwe's low-lying areas in the coming weeks. The 2010–11 Southern Africa floods had claimed lives of at least 141 people affecting the people of Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Malawi. Original post: Natural Disasters List December 31, 2013

Hailstorm in West Nicholson, Gwanda region of Zimbabwe has destroyed several houses. Hail damage roofs of at least 70 houses in Freda Mine alone. No exact details of the damage have been obtianed, News Day from Zimbabwe writes quoting head of the Civil Protection Unit (CPU). Gwanda, Zimbabwe hailstorm in March 2013 also destroyed hundred of houses. Original post: Natural Disasters List April 4, 2013