Houses Destroyed, Blackout As Kenyan Coast Hit By Aftermath Of Cyclone Ialy
During the incident, two electricity posts located within the Jilore Trading Centre in Kilifi caught fire, sparking fears among residents.
Marvin Chege 
An unknown number of people were displaced on Tuesday, May 21 after several houses located along the Kenyan coast were destroyed following the impact of Cyclone Ialy in the region.
According to the Kenya Red Cross, the region experienced strong winds in the afternoon hours, some of which blew the roofs off residential houses in the Majajani area of Kilifi County.
The tropical storm's winds also impacted electric posts in Casuarina, Olimpia, Madunguni in Malindi and Garashi in Magarini, Kilifi County, which fell down, triggering a blackout.
During the incident, two electricity posts located within the Jilore Trading Centre in Kilifi caught fire, sparking fears among residents.
File image of a cyclone. /PHOTO
Following the tragedy, the Red Cross Society embarked on a rescue mission even as the devastating effects of the strong winds continued to be felt.
"No casualties have been reported so far. We continue to urge extra caution," the Red Cross however assured and cautioned on X.
The announcement by the Kenya Red Cross came barely hours after the Meteorological Department warned of potential hazards caused by Cyclone Ialy.
"The Coastal areas will also experience these strong winds, which might pose a hazard to marine operations and Coastal activities," Kenya Met warned.
In the mid-morning announcement, the weatherman urged operators of small boats and crafts to avoid deep-sea areas.
"As a result of tropical storm IALY, expect south-easterly winds at 10-30 knots over Kenya waters. Wave heights will range from 1.5 to 3.6m. Moderate to strong sea conditions," the weather department stated.
Director David Gikungu said winds in the range of 1-7 knots will render the ocean relatively calm with very little disturbance and the waters will still be suitable for marine activities.
He however warned that caution should be exercised when carrying out marine activities if the winds hit speeds of between 7-21 knots causing gentle breeze to fresh breeze, adding "Small boats are likely to be filled with water sprays and become unstable."
According to Gikungu, wind speeds of between 22 to over 34 knots characterized by strong breeze to extremely strong breezes will render the ocean “very much disturbed and the prevailing conditions are dangerous for marine operations”.
Information provided by the Met Office Storms of the UK indicates that Tropical IALY is passing closer to the Kenyan coast than any previous tropical storms in history as the storm heads northwards on its unusual track.
The office, however, said Cyclone Ialy was unlikely to make windfall at the coastal strip.
