More than 100 people have died in catastrophic floods across Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe after weeks of intense rainfall caused by a slow-moving low-pressure system. Mozambique is the hardest hit, with over 200,000 people affected and more than 100 deaths reported since late 2025. South Africa has recorded at least 30 deaths and evacuated about 600 people from Kruger National Park; Zimbabwe reports roughly 70 fatalities and widespread infrastructure damage. More heavy rain is forecast through the weekend, complicating rescue and relief efforts.
Deadly Floods Devastate Southern Africa: Over 100 Killed, Mozambique Worst Hit
Orlando Chauke / AFP via GettyBuilding submerged during flooding in southern Africa
Catastrophic flooding driven by weeks of torrential rain has killed more than 100 people and displaced tens of thousands across southern Africa, authorities and news agencies report. The worst-affected countries are Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, where emergency teams continue rescue and relief operations as heavy rain persists.
Mendes Mondlane/Xinhua via GettFlooding in Mozambique
Impact By Country
Mozambique: Mozambique has suffered the heaviest damage. Officials say more than 200,000 people have been affected and tens of thousands were evacuated. The country’s Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction reported that over 100 people have died from the extreme weather since late 2025. Widespread flooding has damaged homes, roads and other critical infrastructure, complicating relief efforts.
Orlando Chauke / AFP via GettyStructure submerged in floodwater in South Africa
South Africa: At least 30 people have died in South Africa. The South African National Defence Force has been deployed to conduct helicopter rescues in hard-hit areas, and about 600 people were evacuated from Kruger National Park. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who visited a flood-affected area on Jan. 15, said the region received more than 15 inches of rain in a single week and described 36 houses as having been "wiped away from the face of the Earth."
Mendes Mondlane/Xinhua via GettyResidents wading through floodwater in Mozambique on Jan. 12, 2026
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe’s Civil Protection Unit reported roughly 70 fatalities since the start of the year, more than 1,000 homes destroyed and significant damage to roads, schools and other infrastructure. Local authorities have launched search-and-rescue missions and are assessing the scale of immediate humanitarian needs.
What Is Causing the Flooding?
Meteorologists attribute the prolonged, intense rainfall to a slow-moving low-pressure system over the region that repeatedly draws in moisture and produces successive heavy downpours. Forecasters warn that more heavy rain is expected through the weekend, raising the risk of further flooding and hampering rescue and relief operations.
“I am still terrified that the rains will return as these were the worst rains I have seen in this area,” said Nkomazi resident Josephina Mashaba to the Associated Press.
Authorities in all three countries continue evacuations, aerial rescues, and assessments of infrastructure, while humanitarian organizations mobilize to provide shelter, food and medical support to displaced communities.
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