Cyclone Freddy Death Toll Jumps to Over 1,000, Malawi President Says

People cross a flooded area in Muloza on the border with Mozambique after the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Freddy, around 100 kilometers outside Blantyre, Malawi, on March 18, 2023. Esa Alexander/Reuters

BLANTYRE—The death toll from Cyclone Freddy has risen sharply to more than 1,000 people, Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera said on Wednesday, as the southern African nation continues to recover from one of the deadliest storms to hit the continent in the last two decades.

Cyclone Freddy left a trail of destruction in its wake after ripping through Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar, first in late February before circling back in March.