One dead as Cyclone Chapala slams into Socotra

Scores of homes on island destroyed as storm moves towards Yemen and Oman mainland.

A view of Cyclone Chapala from the International Space Station October on 31, 2015. Scott Kelly/ EPA

ADEN AND MUSCAT // Cyclone Chapala barrelled into Yemen’s Socotra island on Sunday, killing one resident and destroying 100 homes as it headed towards the mainland.

Another nine people were injured on the island where, earlier in the day, the approaching heavy rain and strong winds forced residents to flee inland, taking shelter in schools and mosques.

Officials and residents on the island said on Sunday night that Socotra had been hit severely by the cyclone, more than 370km south of the Yemen coast.

“Most of the houses were empty as we evacuated them of people while some of the others that were destroyed still had residents inside who had refused to leave,” said Salem Dahaq, director of the island’s Hadebo district.

He said relief committees were working hard to save the people, and that the full extent of the casualties was unclear. Several buildings had been converted into shelters and medical teams had been formed to deal with emergency cases.

Mohammed Salmein, a resident of the island, said they have not seen winds and rain like this in decades.

“We are expecting a true disaster to befall us,” he said, “and only God knows whether we will last until tomorrow.”

Chapala was the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane on Sunday packing winds of more than 160 kilometres per hour, the UN weather agency said.

It was expected to track westward throughout Monday, weakening slightly, before making landfall just east of Mukalla on Yemen’s coast, in the early hours of Tuesday.

Previous forecasts had expected the cyclone to make landfall close to Salalah in Oman, prompting the Sultanate’s authorities to evacuate more than 4,000 people from low-lying areas.

The cyclone is expected to be the worst to hit Yemen since 2008, when a much weaker stormed caused widespread flooding that killed 180 people and caused $1 billion (Dh3.67bn) in damage.

Across Yemen, schools were closed for two days on Sunday in the provinces Hadramawt, Shabwa, Socotra, and Al Mahrah, which are expected to bear the brunt of the cyclone.

A special operations room, set up on the orders of Yemeni president Abdurabu Mansur Hadi, is tracking Chapala’s progress and issuing alerts to residents of coastal areas.

Yemen’s meteorological agency called on residents of the south-eastern provinces to stay at least one kilometre from the shore. The agency said the cyclone could bring up to 500mm of rainfall – more than seven times the areas average annual rainfall of 70mm – causing widespread flooding and mudslides.

Radhi Bamomen, a resident of Al Mukalla in Hadramawt, said most of the city’s 300,000 residents had heeded warnings to stay away from the sea.

“Fishermen and other residents did not go to sea today and yesterday as they heard about the cyclone, but the cyclone has not hit anywhere in the province yet,” he said.

Al Mukalla, like several parts of Yemen, is under the control of Al Qaeda militants.

In Oman, most of the people moved to safety by the police and air force were from low-lying areas. Rescue officials and volunteers were sent out with tonnes of food rations and medicine to help those affected.

“We take this cyclone very seriously. We have learnt from the past storms like Phet and Gonu. Many volunteers have offered to help us to evacuate people from areas which are most vulnerable. We cannot say we are ready for all eventualities but we are doing our best,” a rescue official from the Omani defence ministry said.

Salalah port in Dhofar province suspended all operations and the ministry of education closed schools in the province for two days.

“We will decide on how to go ahead depending on the weather updates. Every three hours we are reviewing the situation. The vessels have been secured as part of safety measures. Cranes at the port are being tied up also,” a port official said.

Oman’s meteorological department said seas off Dhofar would see waves of up to 10 metres and the area was expected to receive about 500mm in the early hours of Monday.

“We have advised all residents in Salalah not to go out in the next 24 hours unless they have to,” a department official said. “Fishermen should not venture out to sea and drivers should stay away from wadi areas. People who live next to wadis should move to find alternative accommodation. Wadis can overflow and flood houses nearby.”

Cyclone Phet hit Oman in 2010 killing 22 people and caused damage of more US$420 million (Dh1.54bn). In 2007, the sultanate also was battered by Cyclone Gonu, which killed at least 54 people in Oman and caused destruction of more than $1.5bn.