 Intense Tropical Cyclone Indlala near peak strength on 14 March | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 9 March 2007 |
| Dissipated | 18 March 2007 |
| Intense tropical cyclone | |
| 10-minute sustained (MFR) | |
| Highest winds | 175 km/h (110 mph) |
| Highest gusts | 250 km/h (155 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 935 hPa (mbar); 27.61 inHg |
| Category 4-equivalent tropical cyclone | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 220 km/h (140 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 927 hPa (mbar); 27.37 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 150 total |
| Damage | >$240 million (2007 USD) |
| Areas affected | St. Brandon, Agaléga, Madagascar |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2006–07 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
Intense Tropical Cyclone Indlala was a powerful tropical cyclone that struck northeastern Madagascar in March 2007. The ninth named storm and fifth intense tropical cyclone of the 2006–07 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Indlala developed on 3 March 2007 southwest of the Chagos archipelago in the central Indian Ocean. Initially a tropical disturbance, Indlala moved generally westward in its formative stages, attaining tropical cyclone status on 13 March. A day later, the Météo-France office on Réunion (MFR) estimated peak 10–minute sustained winds of 175 km/h (110 mph), although the American-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center estimated stronger 1–minute winds of 220 km/h (135 mph). Early on 15 March, the cyclone made landfall in northeastern Madagascar on the Masoala Peninsula near Antalaha, still at its peak intensity according to the MFR. Indlala rapidly weakened over land and turned southward, eventually re-emerging into the Indian Ocean on 18 March; it was last noted by the MFR on 19 March.
Indlala first affected the sparsely populated islands of St. Brandon and Agaléga, producing wind gusts of 65 km/h (40 mph) on the former island. The cyclone struck Madagascar a few months after the country experienced a series of deadly floods and other cyclones. Indlala killed 150 people and injured another 126. Monetary damage was estimated at over US$240 million. Severe flooding, strong winds, and heavy rainfall wrecked cities in the immediate vicinity of its landfall point. Farther inland and along the country's northwest coast, flooding cut access to roads, which disrupted the response to the storm. Individuals, national governments, United Nations agencies, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies helped residents affected by the cyclone cope with its aftermath.