Mozambican officials warn that the country may suffer flooding in the central and southern parts of the country that could be worse than floods that ravaged large parts of the southern African country in 2000. According to AP, Mozambican Prime Minister Alberto Vaquina flew over central Mozambique Friday to assess the situation and to urge people to avoid risky areas and to move to higher ground where possible. The flooding threatens to cut off the capital Maputo in the south from the rest of the former Portuguese colony. The Minister of State Administration Carmelita Namashulua said that so far the floods have claimed at least 17 lives and have destroyed thousands of acres of crops.