This archive report was first published on 22 October 2019.
Published on October 22, 2019, U.S. weather forecasters have predicted continued heavy rainfall in eastern African regions that have already been hit hard by heavy rains and flash flooding.
The regions, including southern Ethiopia, southern Sudan, Uganda, northern Tanzania, and Kenya, usually experience limited rainfall from September to December, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
However, this year has seen heavy rains strike northern Kenya for weeks, causing flash floods that have displaced thousands of people and swept away hundreds of livestock.
Galma Dabaso, a resident of Walda, one of the affected areas, described the situation as catastrophic. "The rain started last night and [is] still pouring. We have never seen this much rainfall. It has caused so much destruction. We are circled by water. Houses are destroyed, rivers have overflown. We are moving to the higher ground to save our lives and animals," he told VOA's Horn of Africa region.
Wassila Thiaw, a NOAA meteorologist, attributed the heavy rainfall to large-scale movements in the ocean and the atmosphere. "Winds have brought in moist, warm air from the western Indian Ocean, contributing to the moisture surplus that triggers extremely heavy rainfall amounts in this region... triggering flooding that we have been seeing," he explained.
Thiaw warned that the situation is expected to continue in the coming weeks, with above-average rainfall predicted for October, November, and December in the affected areas. "This could affect food security, as continued flooding and heavy rainfall may impact agricultural production," he cautioned.
