Battered by Cheneso, Madagascar braces for Cyclone Freddy

WANJOHI KABUKURU
Associated Press

MOMBASA, Kenya (AP) — Two weeks after Tropical Cyclone Cheneso devastated Madagascar,  leaving 30 dead, the Indian Ocean island nation and its neighbors are bracing for a more powerful Cyclone Freddy. Freddy has gained strength in the past 24 hours, putting the smaller islands of Mauritius and Reunion on high alert as it’s expected to cause flooding there by Sunday and Monday. Freddy is expected to make landfall early next week with the equivalent strength of a Category 5 hurricane. The mainland African coastal nations of Mozambique and South Africa, alongside Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, were on high alert for heavy rains and thunderstorms from Freddy in the coming week.