Cyclone Geralda (1994)

Intense Tropical Cyclone Geralda

Intense tropical cyclone (MFR)
Category 5 cyclone (SSHS)
Cyclone Geralda on January 31, 1994 shorltly after reaching peak strength.
Formed	January 26, 1994 (1994-01-26)
Dissipated	February 5, 1994 (1994-02-06)
Highest winds	10-minute sustained: 205 km/h (125 mph) 1-minute sustained: 260 km/h (160 mph)
Lowest pressure	905 mbar (hPa; 26.72 inHg)
Fatalities	231 dead, 73 missing
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 which caused catastrophic damage in Madagascar in late January 1994. Geralda is one of the strongest tropical storms to hit Madagascar, falling only behind in intensity to Cyclone Gafilo. It is also the third strongest tropical storm in the South-west Indian Ocean basin. Originating from an area of low pressure over the Indian Ocean on January 25, the system began on January 26 as a weak depression^[1] . Over the following few days, the depression underwent gradual intensification, reaching its peak intensity with winds of 200 km/h (10-minute sustained) on January 31^[1] . Cyclone Geralda made landfall near Toamasina, Madagascar after weakening into a Category 3 storm on February 2-3 . Within hours of moving onshore, the system had substantially weakened. By February 5, Geralda had degenerated into a land depression.

Meteorological history

Storm path

Late on January 25 the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) started to monitor an area of low pressure, that was located within the South-West Indian Ocean about 4385 km (3000 mi) to the south of New Delhi, India.^[2] During the next day, the low pressure area interacted with the Intertropical Convergence Zone and an anticyclone, convection became sufficiently organized for the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center on the French island of La Réunion to declare it a tropical depression at 1800 UTC and initiate warnings on the system.^[3] During January 27 as it continued to rapidly organize further, RSMC La Reunion and the JTWC reported that the depression had developed into Tropical Storm 13S before the Mauritius Meteorological Service named it Geralda at 1200 UTC.^[2][3][4] Over the next couple of days Geralda moved towards the west around the subtropical ridge of high pressure while gradually intensifying further before late on October 28, both RSMC la Reunion and the JTWC, reported that it intensified into a tropical cyclone. At that time the system had windspeeds of 110 km/h (70 mph) equivalent to a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale.^{[citation needed]}

Impact

Damage in Madagascar is expected in several tens of millions of dollars:

Infrastructure

When Geralda made a landfall just south of Toamasina, it destroyed 80% of the city's seaport. Toamasina, at that time the only refinery in Madagascar was also damaged severely. 40 000 houses were destroyed or damaged. Lines of communications, railways, roads and bridges were brought down by the extreme force of the storm^[1] .

Agriculture

A total of 300,000 hectares of crops and cattle more than 13,000 in numbers were lost after the storm passed through Madagascar, causing problems in public health and health services^[1] .

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Cyclone Geralda on Firinga (French)". http://firinga.free.fr/Archives/geralda.htm. Retrieved 31 August 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Unattributed (2002-12-17). "JTWC Best Track Analysis 1993-94: Tropical Cyclone 13S (Geralda)". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. United States Navy. http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/best_tracks/1994/1994s-bsh/bsh131994.txt. Retrieved 2011-09-02. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Unattributed. "Analysis of the disturbances of the season.". 1993-94 Cyclone season in the southwest Indian Ocean. Météo France La Réunion Tropical Cyclone Center. pp. 42-47. http://www.meteo.fr/temps/domtom/La_Reunion/webcmrs9.0/anglais/archives/publications/saisons_cycloniques/index19931994.html. 
4. ^ Unattributed (2001-05-16). "Donnes de Geralda". Météo France La Réunion Tropical Cyclone Center. http://www.meteo.fr/temps/domtom/La_Reunion/base_cyclone/nom_annee/GERALDA_1993.html. Retrieved 2011-09-02.