What should have been a quiet season turned tragic this August, when sudden storms brought lightning, floods and strong winds to communities across Rwanda. By the time the skies cleared, five people were dead, 25 injured, and dozens of homes and livelihoods destroyed, according to official figures from the Rwanda Ministry in charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA).
In Burera, where two lives were lost, residents speak of confusion and fear. “August is the month we prepare fields for the next planting,” said a local farmer. “This year, the sky did not keep its promise.” He added.
Communities in Mourning
MINEMA confirmed the deaths: two in Burera, one in Gicumbi, one in Ngororero, and one in Rusizi. Several bridges were swept away, and a factory collapsed. Three cows and smaller livestock perished, a loss that, in rural families, can mean the difference between sending children to school or not.
“People talk of numbers, but behind every number is a family in pain,” said Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Albert Murasira, Minister of Emergency Management. He has urged households to adopt safer practices, including installing lightning rods where possible and avoiding shelter under trees.
For farmers like those in Nyamasheke and Ngororero, the message is clear but difficult: “We know the risks,” one mother of four explained, “but where do we find the money for protection when we are still struggling to buy food?”
A Climate Out of Sync
Meteo Rwanda had predicted generally dry conditions for August, with light rainfall only in a few districts. The storms, experts now say, are part of a larger pattern. The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre recently warned that East Africa’s warming atmosphere is fueling unpredictable convective storms.
“Rwanda’s hilly terrain makes it especially vulnerable,” said an environmental scientist at the University of Rwanda. “When the rains come out of season, crops are destroyed, soils are washed away, and families face hunger.”
Policies and Gaps
Rwanda has invested heavily in preparedness. Its National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Policy (2023) calls for stronger community resilience, while the updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commits the country to climate adaptation measures such as flood control, early warning systems, and ecosystem restoration.
Yet implementation remains uneven. Many schools still lack lightning conductors, and villages rely on word of mouth for warnings. “We have world-class policies, but gaps remain between paper and practice,” admitted a district disaster officer in Gicumbi.
A One Health Lens
The August storms also underlined the interconnectedness of health, environment, and livelihoods. Runoff carried animal waste into streams, raising fears of waterborne diseases. Livestock deaths deepened household poverty, leaving children at risk of malnutrition. Families displaced by damaged homes crowded into relatives’ houses, where poor sanitation creates health risks.
“This is not just a weather event,” explained Dr. Agnes Mugiraneza, a veterinarian in Rusizi. “It is a One Health crisis. People, animals, and the environment all suffer together.”
Living with an Uncertain Future
For now, families are patching up roofs with borrowed nails and leaning on neighbors for support. But as the storms of August 2025 showed, the calendar is no longer a guarantee.
“We used to know when to plant and when to harvest,” said a farmer from Burera. “Now, even the elders cannot read the sky.”
In his recent briefing, Minister Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Albert Murasira emphasized that the government responds quickly with relief items such as iron sheets and food packages, but also acknowledged the growing challenge of increasing climate disasters.
