Local media in Malawi are reporting that flooding in the far north of the country has left at least one person dead and several families displaced.
Flooding struck in Karonga District in the Northern Region of Malawi. The district runs along Lake Malawi and the country’s northern border with Tanzania.
According to Malawi 24, “Karonga District Commissioner (DC) Richard Hara said the incident happened in the morning hours in the area of Group Village Headman Mwenelupembe, Traditional Authority Kyungu in the district following the heavy rains that ended up flooding Bwaye River.”
Homes and crops have suffered damaged. Full damage assessments are yet to be carried out.
Rainfall
Rainfall figures for the area are unavailable. Nkhata Bay, in Northern Region, some 200km south of Karonga, recorded 43.7 mm of rain in 24 hours to 31 January 2018.
Across Lake Malawi, around 300km east of Karonga, Songea in Tanzania recorded 41.0 mm in 24 hours to 29 January.
Previous Floods
Karonga district was hit by flooding in April last year, when at least 4 people died, 5,520 households were affected and about 1075 hectares of crops fields, including rice, maize and cassava, were damaged.
Similar floods occurred in Northern Region, including Karonga, in April 2016. At least 12 people died and 9,000 were displaced.
