Cape Verde declares two days of mourning after deadly storm

Cape Verde has declared two days of national mourning, starting this Tuesday, following a storm that caused seven deaths and material damage on the islands of São Vicente and Santo Antão. President José Maria Neves is preparing to visit São Vicente.

The two islands were “severely affected” in the early hours of Monday by heavy rains, strong winds and flash floods, resulting in “high material damage” and seven deaths in São Vicente, the Government of Ulisses Correia e Silva said in a statement.

"The Government expresses its deepest condolences and solidarity with the bereaved families and with all the Cape Verdean people, both in the country and in the diaspora, who share this moment of grief," he added.

During the period of official mourning, which begins at midnight on August 12, all public buildings and diplomatic and consular representations of Cape Verde will fly the flag at half-mast .

All shows and public demonstrations will also be cancelled .

At least seven people died on the island of São Vicente due to heavy rains , with reports of missing people and damage to public roads, homes and vehicles.

In a previous statement, the Praia government stated that it had declared a state of emergency on the islands of São Vicente and Santo Antão in order to activate the national emergency fund and respond to the damage caused to roads, streets and other infrastructure and to assist "people in difficult situations caused by the bad weather."

The Government stated that the company Infraestruturas de Cabo Verde will be mobilizing intervention resources in partnership with local construction companies for emergency actions.

Images shared on social media show flooded streets and partially destroyed homes, with pavements and sidewalks lifted and debris scattered, highlighting the force of the rains. Furthermore, several vehicles and businesses were destroyed.

"This is a moment that demands national unity, solidarity, and concerted action from everyone so that, together, we can overcome this tragedy," the executive added.

Cape Verde's Minister of Internal Administration, Paulo Rocha, warned that the death toll could rise as people are still missing.

“In just over two and a half hours of heavy rain, accompanied by a lot of thunder, we currently have seven confirmed deaths,” said Rocha, quoted by Rádio de Cabo Verde (RCV).

Operations at Cesária Évora International Airport, in São Vicente, are conditioned, announced the Cape Verde Air Transport (TACV).

The administrator of the Cape Verdean National Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics (INMG), Ester Araújo de Brito, explained on Monday that an easterly wave, initially predicted to be peaceful and therefore not justifying any alert, intensified as it passed over the western islands, including São Vicente, Santo Antão and São Nicolau, causing intense rainfall and thunderstorms.

The official also warned of the worsening sea conditions, with swells from the south between 2 and 3.5 meters, recommending extra attention in southern coastal areas, especially on the southernmost islands.

The Portuguese Government has already expressed its “deep sorrow for the victims of the storm” , offering “condolences to the families, to the brotherly people of Cape Verde and to the authorities, expressing all forms of solidarity”.