At least eight people have died following severe flooding on Cape Verde’s Sao Vicente island, local authorities confirmed Tuesday. Torrential rains struck the northern Atlantic island on Monday morning, overwhelming emergency services and causing widespread disruption
Jose Carlos da Luz, a regional civil protection councillor, reported that seven people drowned in the floods while one person was electrocuted. Three others remain missing as rescue operations continue, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the death toll may be as high as nine, with approximately 1,500 residents displaced due to the flooding.
Sao Vicente usually receives about 116 mm of rainfall annually, but on Monday, 193 mm fell within just five hours, according to Ester Brito, an executive at Cape Verde’s meteorology institute. “This is a rare event, exceeding our 30-year average,” she said.
The intense rainfall caused major road blockages, including the main route to Cesaria Evora International Airport. Although the airport remains operational, Interior Minister Paulo Rocha described the night as “marked by panic and despair,” with emergency services overwhelmed by distress calls.
Floodwaters have also led to rockfalls that blocked key transportation routes across the island. Authorities are actively engaged in rescue and cleanup efforts and have pledged to mobilize resources to restore normalcy as quickly as possible.
Tropical Storm Erin was reported by the U.S. National Hurricane Center to be located about 280 miles west-northwest of Cape Verde, with sustained winds of 45 mph.
