The storm rages on
As colossal rainfall continues resulting from the passage of tropical storm Freddy across Zinave National Park, the team are doing more than staying afloat. Taking to the air, they can share the full extent of the flooding–leaving huge expanses of the park unrecognisable and herds of animals moving to higher ground to avoid the waters.
With the park still flooding by the hour, the Peace Parks helicopter is the safest place to be, hovering over sunken fence lines and forests, roads turned to rivers and saturated soil as far as the eye can see. Whilst not happy with the state of their usual ranges, the wet, bewildered wildlife are also resilient; with time to move, they can weather these conditions.
A monster of a cyclone season
The South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season has been unforgiving for Mozambique in recent years, with Cyclone Eloise flooding vast areas of the country in 2021.Yet Zinave has escaped the worst of the wrath of previous years until now, so the sights are unprecedented for the aerial crew. In their favour this time have been early warnings, allowing critical preparations in the park and far beyond. Here, the nature of a day’s work is never predictable, so tool kits and skillsets amongst team members are well geared towards being innovative and quick to act.
Holding the fort, helping the cause.
After making landfall on 24 February, the storm has shaken Mozambique to its roots, blowing winds of up to 113km per hour and dramatically flooding huge areas, reportedly with up to 750mm of rain in one day in some areas. Every province has felt the onslaught, with more than 57 000 people affected nationwide. The monitoring of weather and safety of communities is continuing until life has a chance to return to normal but, in the meantime, Peace Parks’ dedicated teams are continuing to do what they do best: to roll with it and commit to helping the cause, no matter what.
Keep following Peace Parks TV for more updates on this developing story.
