Somali coast drenched by tropical storm Gati

Flood waters continued to wreak havoc in the coastal town of Bosaso in northern Somalia on Monday, a day after tropical cyclone Gati hit with heavy winds, followed by unprecedented rains that caused widespread flooding.

The cyclone was said to be the strongest ever measured in this part of the world and the governor of Bosaso town described the situation as a ‘huge calamity’.

According to Abdisamad Abwaan, Governor of Bosaso town, the rains have brought upon the community a huge calamity. Several villages were severely affected by the floods, but the hardest hit is the coastal city of Bosaso      

The tropical cyclone Gati caused landfall in Somalia on Sunday with sustained winds of around 105 mph. It’s the first recorded instance of a hurricane hitting the country.

Northern Somalia usually gets about 4 inches of rain per year; but data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show Gati could have received around 8 inches over two days.