It’s been an eventful few weeks since my last blog piece. A few weeks! Time is whizzing by. There’s really only one topic I can start with this time. Cyclone Freddy. Before it arrived people were understandably very nervous with the memories of Batsirai in February 2022 still fresh in their minds. Everyone prepared for Freddy’s well heralded arrival. The residents around KAFS strengthened and buttressed their homes. They used bags of sand and large containers of water to hold the roof down and bamboo poles and planks of wood to hold their traditionally built homes up. In KAFS all tents were relocated to the safety of the main building. 

Then we waited. Freddy finally tore through KAFS on the night of 21st/22nd February. From early afternoon the cloud built up, The rain started and the wind strengthened. Being from the northwest of Ireland, I am well used to winter (and summer) gales and storms which can last for days. I was still well within my comfort zone. However the violence of the cyclone suddenly grew in the early part of the night. I knew Freddy was here and was beyond anything I had experienced in Ireland.

The really strong gusts lasted a few seconds at a time. I was sure one or other of the Ravenala trees in front of KAFS would tumble. No-one expected the large mango trees above the lane to survive. However just when it felt like the wind would never end, there was a few seconds of calm before Freddy caught his breath to rage again. The air was thick with leaves ripped from the trees and blowing around like a blizzard. There were bursts of torrential rain, but thankfully, it wasn’t constant. 

It was a relief when the wind eventually started to subside. We all emerged into the calm shortly after dawn to look and around. After breakfast an inspection of the site revealed that a number of acacia trees had succumbed, a couple across the elevated walkway. I was wondering about the acacia trees that shade Archaeolemur, my tent site. When I got there they were still standing. They had lost limbs, and a branch had fallen onto the metal roof. I was really glad I wasn’t there when it clattered down. 

Fortunately there was no serious damage at KAFS. Both ravenala palms and the mango trees survived too, although with less leaves and fronds than before. The clean-up began straight away and continued for a several days. Dr Louis, Nirina and Rico, who arrived from Tana a couple of days after Freddy, made short work of the larger trunks and limbs with excellent chainsaw skills. 

A lot of damage was sustained in certain areas of Madagascar, and a few people tragically were killed. However, from what I saw on seed collecting trips and the nursery checks after Freddy, most homes survived. Repairs were needed to fences and roofs, but I only saw a few badly damaged homes. The banana trees did not fare well, sustaining a lot of damage to their crowns. I’m amazed how quickly the leaves have grown back on banana trees that did not fall. However, I’m told it will be at least six months before they bear fruit. The rice fields suffered much less damage as Madagascar was spared the torrential downpours that accompanied last year’s cyclones. The general consensus appears to be that it was not as bad as last year. 

Having said that, Cyclone Freddy has broken many records relating to distance traveled, energy expended and longevity. As I write it has struck Mozambique and Malawi a second time dealing deadly devastation. Experts tell us that storm events are getting more frequent and more violent, driven to a large extent by climate change. This only adds another layer of importance to global reforestation projects such as those managed by MBP.