Flooding Due to Heavy Rain Kills Five People, Displaces Thousands in Tanzania

Flooding due to torrential rain in Tanzania has killed several people and caused the displacement of several thousand residents, based on reports as of Tuesday, May 3.

The incident was a result of prolonged heavy rain since late April in the Mbeya and Songwe regions of the East African nation.

Severe Flooding

Deadly flash floods killed a total of five people and injured 21 with five others missing in the Kyela area.

Approximately 3,150 people from 630 households have been displaced.

The severe flooding has brought extensive damage to the Rungwe and Kyela districts in Mbeya Region and in Ileje in Songwe Region, according to Tanzania Red Cross, as cited by Floodlist.com, a natural disaster monitoring site.

The floods damaged 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres) of cropland, water infrastructure like drinking water wells, and multiple roads, including at least four bridges.

More than 400 houses have been damaged and 318 were destroyed.

Other buildings, including educational institutions and places of worship, have also been damaged by the raging floodwaters.

So far, displaced families are staying in temporary evacuation sites such as schools and public buildings.

Recovery Measures

During a joint customs office meeting on April 30, the governments of Tanzania and Malawi have overseen the impact of the flooding.

Mbeya Regional Commissioner Juma Homera confirmed the fatalities when their houses were swept away by the floods on April 27 and April 28, as per Tanzania-based news outlet Mwananchi, a subsidiary of Kenya-based Nation Media Group.

Homera added they are continuing to plan on how to help the homeless people affected by the floods and are contacting the Prime Minister's office in the Disaster Management Unit for instructions to address the crisis.

Furthermore, authorities are reportedly ensuring food and other necessities are available, as per Mwananchi.

Tanzania Wet Season

There are two rain seasons in Tanzania, the first is called "masika" which transpires from mid-March to May and the second called "vuli" occurs from November to mid-January every year.

Meanwhile, the dry season is from May to October, as per Natural Habitat Adventures, a travel and ecotourism company based in Colorado, United States.

However, the country's wet season is marked by deadly natural disasters as low-lying areas and communities on mountainsides are vulnerable to potential risks such as flooding and landslide triggered by heavy rain.

Previous Natural Disasters

Over recent years the following torrential rain-related natural disasters have occurred across Tanzania, as compiled by Floodlist.com:

In February 2020, at least 13 people were killed and five others went missing due to flooding in the Lindi region.

Local authorities reportedly estimated that approximately 15,000 people were displaced with 8,000 staying in evacuation centers, as floods destroyed their homes.

In May 2019, another deadly floods in Kyela District, Mbeya Region, in the south killed at least seven people and caused the displacement of around 2,500 people.

The floodwaters were triggered by the overflow of the Mbaka River due to torrential rain in Mount Rungwe.

In April 2016, heavy rain and flood killed at least three people and displaced hundreds of residents in the Kilimanjaro, Mbeya, and Zanzibar regions.