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"We keep going round until everyone knows a cyclone is coming"

Arlinda Cunah, 34, listens to her solar powered radio. As a disaster management volunteer it is her duty to pay attention to flood and cyclone warnings and to alert her community. Tomas de Mul/IRIN
    Chiguidele

    Mozambique is struck by devastating floods and cyclones almost every year, but investments in preparedness, early warning and communication at community level are saving lives.

    With the start of "cyclone season" only a month away, Arlinda Cunah, 34, who lives in the village of Chilembende, runs through the emergency drill with community volunteers. 

    "When there are cyclones I listen to the radio and wait for news. First I listen alone, and if there are any alerts I call people who are nearby, like my neighbours, and we listen to the warnings together.

    "We then warn the community leader - that's where we keep the cyclone early warning flags, the whistles and a bicycle. We then go out and warn the population that a cyclone is coming so that they can take shelter.

    "If the warning tells us the cyclone is two days away we use the blue warning flag; and this yellow one is used when we have only one day to prepare. This one means urgent - it's red.

    "The population now knows how to react. When we get a warning we move through the community with our whistles and flags. The bicycle is good because we can get to everyone quickly, and we keep going round until everyone knows a cyclone is coming.

    tdm/he


    Photo: Tomas de Mul/IRIN
    A bicycle, a whistle and a colour coded flag system are used to warn people of cyclone danger. Blue means a cyclone is 24 to 48 hours from landfall; A Yellow alert is issued when a cyclone is 24 hours away; and Red means landfall within 6 hours

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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