 Eliakim at peak intensity on 16 March | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 14 March 2018 |
| Post-tropical | 20 March 2018 |
| Dissipated | 22 March 2018 |
| Severe tropical storm | |
| 10-minute sustained (MF) | |
| Highest winds | 110 km/h (70 mph) |
| Highest gusts | 155 km/h (100 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 980 hPa (mbar); 28.94 inHg |
| Category 1-equivalent tropical cyclone | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 120 km/h (75 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 982 hPa (mbar); 29.00 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 21 total |
| Damage | $3.21 million (2018 USD) |
| Areas affected | Madagascar, Réunion, Mayotte, Tromelin Island, Mauritius, Kenya |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2017–18 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
Severe Tropical Storm Eliakim was a tropical cyclone that affected Madagascar and killed 21 people in 2018. The seventh tropical depression, sixth tropical storm of the 2017–18 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, and fourth tropical cyclone in 2018 to impact Madagascar,[1] Eliakim was first noted as an area of atmospheric convection south-southwest of Diego Garcia on 9 March. Developmental conditions were favorable in its vicinity, and on 14 March, both the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and Météo-France La Réunion (MFR) began issuing warnings on the system, with MFR designating it as Tropical Disturbance 7 and the JTWC giving it the designation 14S. On the next day, MFR upgraded the system to a moderate tropical storm, assigning it the name Eliakim. Eliakim further intensified into a severe tropical storm on 15 March, with the JTWC upgrading it to a Category 1-equivalent cyclone on the Saffir–Simpson scale on 16 March. Eliakim made landfall on Masoala at 07:00 UTC, after which MFR estimated maximum 10-minute sustained winds of 110 km/h (70 mph) within the system. Eliakim weakened into a moderate tropical storm before abruptly turning southwards and re-emerging over water on 17 March. Despite unfavorable conditions, Eliakim re-intensified into a severe tropical storm on 19 March before being downgraded back into a moderate tropical storm 6 hours later. Eliakim transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone on 20 March as it moved away from Madagascar, with the MFR last tracking the system on 22 March.
The storm's outer bands first reached Madagascar on 15 March, and by 16 March, Eliakim made landfall on Madagascar. Thousands of people were evacuated in vulnerable areas, accompanied by advisories of heavy rainfall and strong winds. Flooding and heavy rainfall were observed in several regions, with a maximum of 388 millimeters (15.3 in) of rain being recorded in Île Sainte-Marie. Eliakim caused 21 fatalities in Madagascar, affected another 60,000, and displaced 19,439 people. Structures were also affected, with 17,228 homes, 15 roads, 27 health facilities, and 1,118 classrooms experiencing damage. Rehabilitation works in the country were estimated to cost 10 billion Malagasy ariary (US$3.21 million). Other countries also sustained impacts, with Réunion receiving swells of 5–6 meters (16–20 ft) and parts of Kenya experiencing flooding.
- ^ "Rapid Response Fund No. 3/2014 – Cyclone Eliakim Emergency Response in Madagascar" (PDF). ACT Alliance. 11 April 2018. p. 1. Retrieved 28 June 2021.