News

Two Cyclones Hit Madagascar Killing Over 70 People

Anza Turton, Writer

March 5, 2026

The cyclone in Madagascar (Source: UN News)

A tropical cyclone called Cyclone Gezani has recently struck Madagascar. On Feb. 4, the cyclone was a tropical disturbance and quickly formed into something more. The cyclone formed north of Mauritius and quickly turned into an extreme cyclone. This happened on Feb. 8, only four days later, when the cyclone first began. The cyclone brought extreme winds and heavy rainfall. This was not the only cyclone to hit Madagascar, as another one hit in Gezani, called Cyclone Fytia.

Cyclone Fytia struck Madagascar on Jan. 31, which caused over 14 people to die and affected over 31000, making them leave their families and homes. A total of 200,000 people were affected by this cyclone in over 35 districts. Over 19000 homes were flooded and damaged, and almost 500 classrooms were destroyed. Many parts of Madagascar were affected by Cyclone Fytia, but the main places were the Boeny Region, Western and Northwestern Coast, Antananarivo, and other remote districts, including Mitsinjo and Soalala. The Boeny Region was the most affected by this cyclone. The capital, Antananarivo, received extreme rainfall, which led to flooding and buildings collapsing. The Western and Northwestern Coasts received landfall and 185 km/h winds located by Vilmasta and Soalala.

The Gezani Cyclone struck toward the eastern area of Madagascar toward the coast and hit directly near Madagascar’s second-largest city, as well as the main port called Toamasina. Gezani was the most powerful storm this season and had winds that reached up to 115 mph with gusts up to 167 mph. This is almost the same as a category 3 hurricane. The Gezani cyclone caused extreme damage, and over 75% of the infrastructure in Toamasina was destroyed. This infrastructure includes many schools, health facilities, and homes.

Over 59 people died because of this cyclone, and more than 800 people were severely injured, leaving 20,000 residents of Madagascar displaced, and many families had to leave their homes. Both of these cyclones caused damage and harm not only to the land and buildings of Madagascar but also to the people. Cyclone Gezani and Cyclone Fytia caused many lives to be lost, with a total of around 14 people due to Cyclone Fytia and over 59 due to Cyclone Gezani. This brings the total number of deaths to around 73.

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About the Contributor

Anza Turton, Writer

Freshman Anza Turton is very excited for the upcoming school year; though her class schedule is mostly packed with the classes freshmen are required to take, leaving little time for electives. Turton is currently enrolled in standard classes like English, Algebra 1, and biology, but she is also in Art 1, a class that she looks forward to during the school day. While Turton was mostly excited to take Art 1 here at MBHS, she did express that it’s not just an in-school interest. “Sometimes I like drawing,” she said, “mostly flowers. I’ve been doing it for a while, since I was little.” Outside of art, she also looks forward to getting involved at MBHS. “I’m doing golf and I’m going to try beach volleyball,” Turton said. It’s clear that she is very eager to get involved at MBHS, adding that she is especially looking forward to the football games and the dances. Turton previously went to Wishing Well for middle school, which she enjoyed very much. “It was really fun. It was a small class, so we all knew each other; we went outside a lot,” said Turton. Despite this, she still regrets that she wasn’t fully able to get involved in middle school. She said, “I didn’t go to LOMS, so I didn’t get to go to a lot of dances that everybody else did,” regarding her experience at Wishing Well. Turton’s past experiences have thoroughly impacted her goals and desires for her future at MBHS. Her passion for getting involved in her classes and extracurriculars, combined with her motivations for wanting to be involved, is admirable. Her enthusiasm will be a great addition to the MBHS Spyglass.