The storm returned to the African coast at the weekend for a second time in less than three weeks, leaving a trail of death and destruction, but it had largely spared Malawi the first time around.
"The level of devastation we are dealing with here is greater than the resources we have at our disposal," President Lazarus Chakwera said in declaring two weeks of national mourning.
The government has promised 1.6 billion kwacha ($1.5 million) to assist the tens of thousands of Malawians affected by the storm, which authorities say has killed at least 225 in the country and wounded hundreds.
Rescuers scrambled to reach survivors in southern parts of Malawi, mostly around the commercial capital of Blantyre, after Freddy smashed into the country and neighbouring Mozambique, triggering floods and landslides that have killed nearly 290 people in both countries.
The cyclone began to fade Wednesday after travelling 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles) across the Indian Ocean, before looping back over ocean and then reversing course to strike Africa a second time, setting an unofficial record as the world's longest tropical storm.
Chakwera said Freddy was the third storm to "assault" Malawi in 13 months, calling it "a testament to the realities of climate change".
After visiting some of the affected areas, he said the damage and the plight of the victims were "far worse than the images and footage we have been seeing".
The president also attended a funeral ceremony for some of the victims in the Blantyre township of Chilobwe.
"This is a national tragedy," Chakwera, wearing a raincoat and rubber boots, told mourners at a service held at a primary school where 21 coffins, some decked with little more than simple wreaths, were lined up under a tent.
In a national address, he said the sight of the coffins "laid side-by-side, including several from the same family, was nothing short of heartbreaking".
- 'You can't even mourn' -
Weather conditions were expected to improve as the storm dissipated after days of torrential rains, but localised thunderstorms would persist, Malawian forecasters said.
Flood levels remained high in several areas, hampering emergency efforts.
In Mozambique, the storm led to 63 deaths and displaced 49,000 people according to official statistics.
President Filipe Nyusi appealed for aid to rebuild destroyed infrastructure, in an address to the nation Wednesday night.
In Malawi, the army and police were leading search and rescue operations, which are set to continue for at least two more days.
Many people perished in landslides that swept away flimsy homes built on slopes.
"Four people from my family are still missing as they are buried in the mud," Alabu Wiseman, 24, said from a Blantyre school serving as a temporary shelter.
Across the country, more than 88,000 people have been displaced, with many sheltering in 165 temporary camps.
Some people complained that government assistance had been slow in coming.
"We feel abandoned," said Fadila Njolomole, 19. "My best friend, her brother, sister and mother, went with the mudslide and their bodies have not been found. It's devastating. You can't even mourn."
The impoverished country is already grappling with the deadliest cholera outbreak in its history, which has killed more than 1,600 people since last year.
- Record breaker -
The storm has unofficially broken the World Meteorological Organization's benchmark as the longest tropical cyclone on record, set in 1994 for a 31-day storm named John.
Freddy became a named storm on February 6, making landfall in Madagascar on February 21 and sweeping over the island before reaching Mozambique on February 24.
It then returned to the Indian Ocean and gathered new force over the warm waters, then reversed course to come back much more powerful, packing wind gusts of up to 200 kilometres per hour (125 mph).
Cyclones tracking across the entire Indian Ocean are very infrequent, meteorologists say, with the last occurring in 2000.
Cyclone Freddy death toll rises to 63 in Mozambique
Maputo (AFP) March 15, 2023 -
The death toll in Mozambique climbed to 63 after Cyclone Freddy made a devastating return to southern Africa's mainland, official statistics showed Wednesday as President Filipe Nyusi appealed for help.
The bulk of the deaths were recorded in the northeastern province of Zambezia, which neighbours Malawi, according to figures released by the country disaster management agency.
"In this second wave of Cyclone Freddy, Zambezia province was the most affected. Unfortunately we have to report so far 53 deaths in this province," Nyusi said in a televised national address after visiting Zambezia. The storm had claimed 10 lives during its first strike last month.
Mozambique "urgently" needs to "mobilise financial resources to restore destroyed infrastructure", Nyusi said appealing for local and international aid.
More than 49,000 people have been displaced, while some 280 people were injured during Freddy's return to the gas-rich but impoverished coastal nation.
The fierce storm delivered its second punch to the southern Africa region at the weekend, its second landfall since late February after brewing off Australia and traversing the Indian Ocean.
After sweeping through Mozambique, cyclone Freddy smashed into landlocked Malawi early Monday killing at least 225 people there.
The storm has unofficially broken the World Meteorological Organization's benchmark as the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record, set in 1994 for a 31-day storm named John.
Around 80 tropical storms or cyclones form above tropical waters around the world each year.
The cyclone season in southern Africa lasts from November to April.
Malawi declares 14 days of mourning over cyclone deaths
Blantyre, Malawi (AFP) March 15, 2023 -
Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera on Wednesday declared two weeks of national mourning for the more than 200 people killed by Cyclone Freddy, which struck early this week.
The cyclone finally faded after an 8,000-kilometre (5,000-mile) trek in which it crossed the Indian Ocean, reversed course to strike Africa a second time and set an unofficial record for the world's longest tropical storm.
"In view of the extent of the loss of life caused by this disaster, I have directed that all of us as a nation observe 14 days of mourning and that all flags fly at half mast for the first seven of those days," Chakwera said in an address to the nation.
Cyclone Freddy left a trail of death and destruction. In Malawi it killed at least 225 people, injuring hundreds, and leaving 41 missing, according to official figures, as floods and mudslides washed away homes and buried their inhabitants.
Chakwera said an emergency cabinet meeting authorised the release of 1.6 billion kwacha ($1.5 million) to assist the tens of thousands of Malawians affected by the storm.
"I can already tell you that this money will not be nearly enough," Chakwera said.
"The level of devastation we are dealing with here is greater than the resources we have at our disposal."
The president said Malawi, one of the world's poorest countries, was seeking to secure additional support from the international community.
"This cyclone is now the third to assault our country in just 13 months. A testament to the realities of climate change," Chakwera said in a televised address.
"The damage caused by this latest strike is the worst our country has seen in decades."
Rescue efforts were still underway on Wednesday, as hopes to find survivors dwindled.
"The survival of our nation, our lives, and the sustainability of our development depends on the actions we take as a nation in the coming months," Chakwera said.
"This is our moment to rise from the ashes together".
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