VZCZCXYZ0012
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAN #0262 0741233
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 151233Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANTANANARIVO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4493
INFO RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA IMMEDIATE 0961
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0374
RUEHPL/AMEMBASSY PORT LOUIS 0311
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0841
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0047
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0047
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0053

UNCLAS ANTANANARIVO 000262 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA-SKHANDAGLE, KLUU, GGOTTLIEB, AFERRARA, CPRATT 
FOR DCHA/FFP/DP - SDOSHANJH, PNOVICK 
AFR/EA - OCOLE 
STATE FOR AF/E, MBEYZEROV AND DMALAC 
STATE FOR CA/OCS/ACS/AF, RBRANSON 
PRETORIA USAID/OFDA/SARO - HHALE 
NAIROBI FOR USAID/EA/FFP - NESTES, DGORDON 
ROME FOR FODAG 
GENEVA FOR RMA, DHA, IFRC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EAID PREL SOCI CASC MA
SUBJECT: CYCLONE INDLALA STRIKES MADAGASCAR - FIRST REPORT 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  Tropical cyclone Indlala struck the east coast of 
Madagascar early morning on March 15, with the city of Antalaha 
hardest hit.  Due to the ongoing lack of communications, we do not 
have reliable information about casualties and property damage, but 
expect it may be considerable.  Six AmCits - five Peace Corps 
Volunteers (PCVs) and one private American - are believed to be in 
the region.  Post confirmed the safety of two of the PCVs as of the 
evening of March 14 and continues to reach out to confirm the safety 
of the other four AmCits.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  Tropical cyclone Indlala made landfall on Madagascar's 
northeastern coast at Antalaha, a city of approximately 175,000 
population, the early morning on March 15.  Attempts to communicate 
with the city of Antalaha by telephone and shortwave radio have been 
unsuccessful, but Post is hearing initial reports of high winds, 
36-foot storm wave surges, and power outages in Antalaha.  One 
forecasting service suggested overnight winds of 125 knots offshore 
and 107 knots at landfall this morning.  The national radio reported 
at 1230 that neighboring Maroantsetra is "badly damaged" with power 
outages, destroyed homes and felled trees; people are seeking 
shelter in schools and churches.  The storm is expected to veer 
south west and dissipate fairly rapidly.  Meteo France - a regional 
satellite weather station - has issued a warning for residents of 
Tamatave (further south along Madagascar's eastern coastline) 
through the next 24 hours, but contacts there report only heavy 
rain. 
 
¶3.  The Consular Section issued a warden message to AmCits at 0700 
March 14.  Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) in the neighboring cities 
of Vohemar, Diego Suarez and Andapa are accounted for and reporting 
only heavy rain.  Post has had mixed success communicating with the 
six AmCits directly in and around Antalaha.  Three are PCVs who are 
believed to be safe; two of them confirmed at 2230 March 14 they had 
moved into a strong cement shelter, and one who at 1200 on March 14 
was known to be in the forest outside of Maroantsetra.  Two 
additional PCVs outside of Maroantsetra have been unreachable.  All 
five PCVs had been instructed earlier to report back the afternoon 
of March 15.  Post has been unable to obtain any information on a 
sixth AmCit registered in Maroantsetra.  Post will continue to seek 
information regarding their whereabouts and welfare as it becomes 
available.  All other registered AmCits in the area are either in 
Diego Suarez in the north or Tamatave in the east - safely out of 
the storm's path for now. 
 
¶4.  With Madagascar still picking itself up after several cyclones 
already this season, as well as unusually widespread and prolonged 
heavy rains not associated with tropical storms, the government and 
relief agencies are stretched very thin.  Harvests across the 
country have been devastated by flooding due to torrential rain in 
large areas of the northwest, west and southeast, as well as 
droughts in the south.  Official estimates cite 33,000 people 
displaced and 90,000 hectares of agricultural land damaged.  In 
addition, it now appears likely that Antalaha and its vicinity will 
require immediate relief after the storm passes.  Post will continue 
to monitor the situation to assess the potential need for a disaster 
declaration. 
MCGEE