BEIRA, Mozambique (AP) — The secretary-general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Mozambique says the death toll following Cyclone Idai could exceed the 1,000 predicted by the country's president earlier this week.

Elhadj As Sy said humanitarian needs are great and "we will be seeing more in the weeks and months ahead, and we should brace ourselves."

The confirmed death toll in Zimbabwe, neighboring Mozambique and Malawi surpassed 500 on Thursday, with hundreds more feared dead in areas that were completely submerged.

Thousands of people were making a grim voyage toward the city of Beira in Mozambique, which although heavily destroyed is now a center for frantic rescue efforts. Some walked along roads carved away by the raging waters while others were ferried by local fishermen.