Tropical Cyclone Eloise, after making landfall in Mozambique near Beira on January 23, 2021, crossed into southeastern Zimbabwe, bringing torrential rains, wind gusts up to 160 km/h, and widespread flooding. The storm affected provinces including Manicaland, Masvingo, and Matabeleland South, exacerbating damage from prior events like Cyclone Idai. The cyclone weakened into a tropical storm as it moved inland, entering Zimbabwe around 20:00 on January 23 and impacting the southeast through January 24.
Heavy rainfall exceeded 250 mm in some areas, causing rivers to swell and dams like Tokwe Mukosi to overflow. Warnings from Zimbabwe’s Meteorological Services highlighted risks of flooding, destructive winds, and lightning. At least three people died in Manicaland’s Chipinge District, swept away by floodwaters that destroyed around 15 homes in Gumiro Village.
Over 20,000 people were affected nationwide, with more than 400 houses, schools, roads, and bridges damaged or destroyed in Chipinge alone; mudslides blocked routes and hit institutions. Flooding displaced hundreds in Masvingo and Harare, damaging crops, livestock, sanitation, and infrastructure, while urban areas like Beitbridge and Mutare saw wall collapses and sewage overflows. The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society launched a DREF operation on January 29, 2021, aiding 1,125 people (225 households) with shelter, food, health, WASH, and essentials in Chipinge, Chivi, Masvingo Rural, and Beitbridge.
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Evacuation centers housed over 265 people in Manicaland, amid concerns over COVID-19 in shelters. Assessments covered 459 households, prioritizing flood-hit families reluctant to relocate fully.
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