Prolonged and intense rains that have battered several parts of the country since late December have left thousands of households displaced, crops washed away, public infrastructure damaged and lives lost, exposing serious weaknesses in disaster preparedness and early warning systems.
In Kasungu District, stormy rains that began on December 27, 2025, have affected at least 2,775 households across 17 traditional authorities, according to district principal disaster risk management officer Shepherd Jere.
Jere said 260 houses have been completely destroyed, while 2,515 others were partially damaged, mainly due to collapsed walls. Although no deaths have been recorded in the district so far, 10 people have sustained injuries, some after houses collapsed during the storms.
"Although the impact is widespread, there has been no death recorded so far, but 10 people have been injured. The displaced families, estimated at about 90, are currently being accommodated by relatives and well-wishers," said Jere.
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Traditional Authority (T/A) Kaluluma has been the hardest hit, with 499 affected households, followed by T/A Chisinga with 456 families.
The rains have also destroyed critical infrastructure. Mpasadzi, Nkhamenya and Milenje bridges have been washed away, cutting off communities and disrupting transport. Further flooding occurred after the World Bank-funded Sopani Dam in T/A Chisemphere burst its banks, worsening the situation downstream.
During an inspection tour, Kasungu Municipality legislator Noel Mkubwi (Independent) described the situation as heartbreaking.
"In one case, a house collapsed on a woman who was injured and rushed to hospital. It's a sad situation," he said, calling on councils to have emergency resources readily available for swift disaster response.
Kasungu Municipality Mayor Hasting Nyirongo said the situation was equally worrying in urban areas, revealing that over 100 houses in the municipality have collapsed due to rainstorms.
While Kasungu has so far avoided fatalities, the situation has been deadly elsewhere.
In Mzimba District, District Commissioner Emmanuel Bulukutu has warned communities against crossing swollen rivers after several people drowned while attempting to do so.
Bulukutu issued the warning during a monitoring tour in Traditional Authority Khosolo, where he inspected flooded villages and damaged infrastructure, including roads, bridges and culverts.
"We have registered deaths of people who drowned after attempting to cross swollen rivers. People should avoid crossing swollen rivers because they risk being swept away by strong currents," said Bulukutu.
Two people from Chimulu Kasenga Village drowned while crossing the Rukuru River on their way back from maize fields, according to T/A Khosolo, who said the incident had shocked the community.
"It is better to delay farm activities or movements than to lose lives," he said, adding that awareness meetings would be intensified to discourage risky crossings.
Another body was recovered from a river in Group Village Head Mbachazya Siwande area in T/A Mabilabo, underscoring the growing human toll of the rains.
Community member Josiah Soko welcomed the warnings, saying residents would wait for water levels to subside before resuming farm activities.
Further south in Chikwawa District, communities say the damage caused by floods is being worsened by lack of early warning tools and equipment.
Residents in Sub-Traditional Authority Masache raised the concerns during a monitoring and education visit by the Association of Environmental Journalists and Civil Society Network on Climate Change (Cisonecc) under the Climate and Disaster Risk Management Advocacy Project.
Mary Tsoka, a member of Mako Advocacy Group, said communities lack basic tools such as megaphones, bicycles and motorcycles to spread warning messages when floods are imminent.
"We do not have transport means or equipment to reach people with warning messages when disasters strike. Only when floods occur do authorities arrive," she said.
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Cisonecc national coordinator Julius Ng'oma said the project aims to strengthen the capacity of communities, civil society and local authorities to engage effectively in disaster risk management.
Meanwhile, Circle for Integrated Community Development programme support officer Kumbukani Rashid said environmental degradation was worsening the impact of floods, adding that efforts such as afforestation, reforestation and promotion of energy-saving stoves could reduce pressure on forests.
Dolo Extension Planning Area officer McKnight Sakhulani noted that shifting weather patterns were making it increasingly difficult for farmers to plan and secure good harvests.
As rains continue across the country, the unfolding situation in Kasungu, Mzimba and Chikwawa paints a stark picture of communities caught between extreme weather, fragile infrastructure and limited disaster preparedness--raising urgent questions about readiness as climate-related disasters become more frequent and severe.
