Somalia – Homes Destroyed as Tropical Cyclone Pawan

Tropical Cyclone Pawan made landfall in Puntland State of Somalia on 07 December, 2019.

NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite passed over Tropical Storm Pawan or 06A on Dec. 5, 2019 as it was moving through the western Arabian Sea, spreading clouds as far northwest as Oman and Yemen on its way toward Somalia. Credit: NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)

Heavy rain and wind gusts of 80 km/h were reported. Somalia’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management said the cyclone hit the coastal city of Eyl in Nugal Region, adding, “as Pawan turns towards another coastal cities in the country, it is expected that the strength will decline.”

Heavy rain caused flash flooding in streets and the Eyl river to break its banks. Images shared on Social Media showed raging rivers, cars submerged in flood water and homes damaged by flooding.

Local media reported one fatality in Eyl and said that heavy rains and high winds destroyed 50 homes and caused damage to crops and farms across Nugal Region.

Pawan caused major disruption to flights to and from Garowe airport. Another person reportedly died at sea off the coast of Gardafuul Region.

Somali Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) said some areas in Puntland recorded “more than 3 times their long term mean annual rainfall during the storm.”

SWALIM added, “for instance, Eyl recorded a total of 260mm while Dangoroyo received 198mm in two days. Other stations that recorded notable amounts include Hasbahale (80mm), Garowe (85mm), Iskushuban (75mm), Qardo (48mm) and Buuhoodle (52mm)among others.”

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