SANA, Yemen — A rare and rapidly intensifying cyclone killed one person and injured nine on the remote Yemeni island of Socotra, and the storm was expected to hit the mainland early Tuesday, officials said.
Officials said Cyclone Chapala seriously damaged or destroyed at least 20 homes on the island after it struck Sunday. They said many residents living near the coast took shelter in caves or in schools. The island was hit by heavy rain and strong winds. Rising waves battered the coast and coastal areas were flooded.
Authorities on the island transported 9,000 people from their homes to other places to take refuge, mainly schools, said Socotra Deputy Governor Ramzi Mahfouz. But the evacuation was carried out only in the provincial capital, Hadibo, and residents elsewhere were facing more challenges.
The situation is being compounded by a shortage of fuel on the island for more than 20 days, he said.
Socotra island lies in the Indian Ocean about 230 miles off the coast of Yemen’s mainland. It is known for its unique vegetation and ecosystems, including rare dragon blood trees.
The UN weather agency said Friday that Cyclone Chapala could dump more than a year’s worth of rainfall on the arid, impoverished, and war-torn country.
The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System said up to 390,000 people on the mainland could be affected by the wind speeds, and 3,500 people residing in coastal areas could be affected by storm surge.
Officials in al-Mahra, Yemen’s easternmost province, and the neighboring province of Hadramawt, which is partly controlled by Al Qaeda, were bracing for the storm. The Emergency Council in Hadramawt, which is supportive of exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, appealed to citizens living in coastal areas to evacuate.