Cyclone Geralda
| Intense tropical cyclone (SWIO scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 5 (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
Cyclone Geralda on January 31 shortly after reaching peak strength
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| Formed | January 26, 1994 |
| Dissipated | February 8, 1994 |
| Highest winds |
10-minute sustained: 205 km/h (125 mph) 1-minute sustained: 270 km/h (165 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 905 hPa (mbar); 26.72 inHg |
| Fatalities | 231 dead, 73 missing |
| Damage | > $10 million (1994 USD) |
| Areas affected | Madagascar |
| Part of the 1993–94 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
Cyclone Geralda (also known as Intense Tropical Cyclone Geralda) was a powerful tropical cyclone that caused catastrophic damage in Madagascar in late January 1994, among the strongest to hit the country. It originated from an area of low pressure over the Indian Ocean on January 25. Over the following few days, the depression underwent gradual intensification, reaching its peak intensity with ten-minute sustained winds of 200 km/h (125 mph) on January 31. Cyclone Geralda made landfall near Toamasina, Madagascar after weakening from its peak intensity. Within hours of moving onshore, the system had substantially weakened, and by February 5, Geralda had degenerated into a land depression, and it became extratropical three days later.
Geralda was the second cyclone in as many months to strike eastern Madagascar, after Daisy in January. Geralda produced wind gusts as strong as 350 km/h (220 mph), which were the highest worldwide for several decades. The cyclone also dropped heavy rainfall that caused flooding, particularly in valleys. About 80% of the city of Toamasina was destroyed, including most schools, homes, and churches. The cyclone heavily damaged roads and rail lines, which later disrupted relief efforts. In the capital Antananarivo, Geralda killed 43 people after flooding many houses. Overall, more than 40,000 homes were destroyed, leaving 356,000 people homeless. Nationwide, the cyclone killed 231 people and caused over $10 million in damage (1994 USD). Relief work in the storm's aftermath was hampered by lack of coordination, and the Malagasy military were deployed to help storm victims. Few stocks were pre-positioned, causing food prices to rise greatly. Several countries and departments of the United Nations donated money or supplies to the country.
In late January 1994, the south Indian Ocean Intertropical Convergence Zone produced widespread convection from the eastern coast of Africa to Indonesia. Late on January 25, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) began monitoring a low-pressure area about halfway between Madagascar and Indonesia, later giving it the designation "13S". The following day, the Météo-France on Réunion (MFR) classified the system as a tropical disturbance. By that time, the system had developed an organized area of convection with curved rainbands and was strengthening quickly; early on January 28, it developed a central dense overcast. In response, MFR upgraded the system to Moderate Tropical Storm Geralda. At that time, the storm was moving generally west-southwestward due to a ridge extending from Madagascar to the Mascarene Islands. High water temperatures fueled further development, first into a moderate tropical storm late on January 28 and then into a tropical cyclone 24 hours later. By then, the JTWC had upgraded Geralda to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane.
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