Four dead as French island reels from devastating cyclone
Local people expressed shock at the level of destruction after Cyclone Garance struck the territory of 900,000 people Friday, uprooting trees, tearing off roofs and flooding homes. Entire streets were inundated and cars washed away.
A red alert, ordering the population to stay indoors, was lifted on Saturday morning after Garance was downgraded to a severe tropical storm.
The body of a man was found trapped under a tree in the capital, Saint-Denis, officials said Saturday.
The other victims, two women and a man, were carried away by flash floods, trapped in a mudslide or killed by an electrical fire, the authorities said Friday.
"We are deeply shaken," Samantha Boyer said in Saint-Denis where one of the women had been swept away.
"We tried to get the lady out of the drainage outlet," she said. "We called all the neighbours and really tried to rescue her, but we couldn't."
The east and north of the island bore the brunt of the damage.
'Never been so scared'
Fierce winds damaged the house of Therese Borel, who lives in the eastern town of Saint-Benoit, tearing off the roof. She and her husband took refuge at their son's house, who lives nearby.
"When I arrived at my son's house, just behind, I sat down on the floor and started crying," said Borel.
"I didn't have much to begin with, now I have nothing," she said.
"I had never been so scared in my life," added her son Jimmy.
The roof of Krishna Cadivel's house was also blown away.
"I've lived here for 55 years, I've been through several cyclones," said the resident of the nearby town of Bras-Panon. "I've never seen anything like it."
Some 120,000 people were still without electricity, while more than 950 were staying in temporary accommodation centres.
More than 310,000 residents had no access to drinking water.
In a gymnasium in Saint-Denis, where some locals found shelter, Marie-Pierrette Narsou said the cyclone had left her "a bit traumatised".
"It was really bad," she added.
Prefect Patrice Latron, the central government representative on the island, said "a lot of work" would be needed, with many roads blocked by fallen trees.
"A few stores have been looted, mainly for provisions, but we cannot say it has been widespread," he added.
Manuel Valls, France's overseas territories minister, was due to arrive in La Reunion in the coming days, his team said.
Millions of euros in damage
During the passage of the cyclone on Friday, French weather office Meteo-France recorded winds of up to 230 kilometres (143 miles) per hour in Piton Sainte-Rose on the island's eastern coast.
Latron said Garance was fiercer than cyclone Belal, which killed four people on Reunion in January 2024 and caused an estimated €100 million ($104 million) in damage.
The island's international airport reopened on Saturday.
The nearby tourist island of Mauritius had shut its main airport on Wednesday, while Reunion had shut down to flights on Thursday.
In Saint-Gilles-les-Bains on the island's west coast, a ravine burst its banks, sending muddy water pouring through the town centre.
Local council workers started clearing the mud from the streets early on Saturday morning.
"We're shovelling it away," said one. "Residents are helping us but there's far too much mud. We've had to bring in excavators."
About 200 firefighters and military personnel were to be sent in over the weekend from Mayotte, a French territory nearly 1,500 kilometres away, and from mainland France, the government said.
Floris Carpaye of farmers union FDSEA said the agricultural sector had been hit hard, especially market gardening.
"It's a real catastrophe," Carpaye said. "It's going to cost tens of millions of euros."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Local France
6 days ago
- Local France
Eastern France placed on weather alert for severe thunderstorms
Nine French départements were placed on the second-highest weather warning - the 'orange' alert - on Tuesday by French national weather service, Météo France, for thunderstorms. Météo France map with weather warnings, on Tuesday June 3rd. After thunderstorms hit parts of central and eastern France on Sunday and Monday, more intense weather was expected on Tuesday for the départements of Saône-et-Loire, Jura, Ain, Rhône, Loire, Allier, Haute-Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, and Cantal. Storms were expected to hit Tuesday afternoon, from 2pm, and into the evening, with forecasters warning that they could be accompanied by hail, wind gusts of up to 80 to 100 km/h and intense rainfall of 20 to 40mm in one to three hours. Parts of south-west France may also see thunderstorms and rain too, albeit later in the evening as storms arrive. As such, Météo France may list some départements in the Occitanie region on alert later in the day. You can keep up with French weather alerts on the website. Advertisement READ MORE: Explained: How France's weather warning system works What about Wednesday? Forecasters warned that thunderstorms could hit the south-east on Wednesday, while the rest of the country was expected to see mixed weather, with some light rain in north-western France in Brest and Cherbourg, to sunshine from the Loire Valley to the Ardennes (including the Paris region).
Local France
28-05-2025
- Local France
Forecasters predict scorching French summer
Giving accurate predictions about the weather more than a few days in advance, is a notable fool's errand. That, however, doesn't stop national forecaster Météo-France issuing a three-month forecast for the highly anticipated June-July-August period, a few days before the official start of meteorological summer. The forecaster makes it clear that its predictions are based on trends and are based on averages for the summer months, rather than being able to predict specific hot days or period of canicule (heatwave). MAP: The 5 worst French cities to be in during a heatwave And we're most likely in for a 'warmer than normal' summer in France in 2025, particularly in Corsica, Météo-France said. According to the numbers, there's a 50 percent chance that June, July and August will see above average temperatures, compared to a 20 percent chance that the next three months will be cooler than usual. Advertisement This is uncannily similar to the long-term forecast for summer 2024. History, however, records people in northern France wondering what had happened to the sun in the early part of the season, plus a memorable Olympic Games opening ceremony in a July rainstorm. Nevertheless, Météo-France indicates that the chances of a scorchio summer 2025 are higher still in Corsica, where forecasters say the chances of a hotter-than-usual summer are 60 percent. A cool summer on the île de beauté is a 10 percent likelihood. As for rainfall this summer, anything goes. The probability of a drier than normal summer is set at 33 percent, the same as for 'normal' or 'wetter' than normal weather. Now, the scientific caution bit: while these forecasts remain probabilities, they nevertheless attempt to 'determine the expected average trends for the quarter,' according to Météo France. 'Temperature can be considered globally for the season, but a specific event lasting between a few days and a few weeks can only be anticipated a few days in advance,' it said. That's boffin for: it's too early to predict heatwaves, storms, or any actual weather. These figures are probabilities 'mainly associated with the trend of climate change in Europe,' reports Météo France. The Mediterranean basin is more likely to be a summer heat hotspot, but, 'occasional cooler spells cannot be ruled out.' The next couple of days in France may offer a brief early preview of things to come then – with temperatures in the south-west of France expected to soar to between 30C and 35C on Friday. They could reach 29C in Paris, with thunderstorms, particularly in the south, predicted on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon before spreading across large parts of the country on Sunday.
Local France
26-05-2025
- Local France
MAPS: The top five worst French cities to spend a heatwave in
Heatwaves in France are dangerous , and they are becoming both more common and more severe as the planet warms and they can be especially bad in cities due to the 'urban heat island' effect. In French, this is referred to as an îlot de chaleur urbain , and it is the phenomenon that makes urban areas hotter than rural ones. In îlots de chaleur , the heat becomes trapped, which can happen for several reasons such as high density, particularly of towers and apartment buildings, a lack of green space and concrete-covered streets which retain heat, combined with heat-producing activities such as traffic and air conditioning units. As such, temperatures are sometimes more than 10C hotter in cities than in the countryside during the daytime, and temperatures often stay elevated at night due to the heat being trapped in the urban area. READ MORE: Trees to trams: How French cities are adapting to summer heatwaves Advertisement Which parts of France are most vulnerable? However city design is also important, and can make the different between a town becoming an îlot de chaleur or not. Thanks to an interactive map created by the French public administrative body Cerema, which is partnered with the environment ministry and publishes studies on climate issues, there is enough data to compare heat risk by city. According to Cerema's research, France's 83 largest urban areas (more than 50,000 people) are all vulnerable to extreme heat, with more than five million people living in neighbourhoods considered to be 'highly sensitive to extreme heat'. In terms of where high temperatures and heatwaves are most dangerous, the data differs slightly based on who you ask. According to the French weather service, Météo France, the five cities most affected by the urban heat island effect are; Paris, Grenoble, Lille, Clermont-Ferrand and Lyon. However, in an interview with French daily Libération, a representative from Cerema explained that Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Marseille and Lille are the worst. Cerema found that together, these five cities account for almost half of the French population living in 'highly sensitive areas' for heat. It's important to note that these aren't necessarily the hottest cities in France - southern towns like Nice, Montpellier and Toulouse regularly top 40C in summer, but have urban design better suited to the heat. Paris, by contrast, suffers from high population density, a lack of green space and design issues such as its famous zinc rooftops which make it especially vulnerable to 'heat islands', even though it's unusual for temperatures to go above 40C. Paris Most of the city of Paris is covered in red, with almost a third of the city (32 percent) considered to be LCZ 2, or highly sensitive to the heat island effect. A study by Lancet Public Health published in 2023 found that Paris is the European city with the highest risk for heat-related death . Advertisement The city of Paris has taken steps to remedy this issue including a huge tree-planting programme, but in the short term, the city has also published a list of 'cool islands' or places people can go to escape the heat, such as parks and swimming areas. Screenshot of a map of Paris based on heat risk. Credit: French government, Cerema Lyon The third-most populated city in France, Lyon is home to over 520,000 inhabitants. Located in the Rhone valley, temperatures have soared in recent summers. During a heatwave in August 2023, Lyon beat its previous temperature record from the 2003 heatwave, hitting 41.4C. At the time, the city had also recorded 12 consecutive days of temperatures hitting above 34C, according to BFMTV . Screenshot of a map of Lyon based on heat risk. Credit: French government, Cerema Bordeaux Located in the south-west, along the Garonne river, Bordeaux has been accused of being slower than other French cities when it comes to adding green spaces and planting trees. Didier Jeanjean, the city councillor in charge of 'nature in the city', told Franceinfo in 2023 that he would describe Bordeaux as "a city of stone since the 18th century, and then it adapted to cars." Advertisement Jeanjean added that "at the same temperature, Bordeaux can be 10C warmer than the countryside because of the city's extra heat." Screenshot of a map of Bordeaux based on heat risk. Credit: French government, Cerema Marseille Despite its location along the Mediterranean, with sea breeze helping to cool off areas directly next to the water, central Marseille suffers from the heat island effect. As shown in the map, the parts of Marseille at most risk are the dense, built-up areas near the Vieux Port and the train station. In 2017, the city recorded a 15C temperature difference between the Place Castellane traffic circle and the Jardin du Pharo (also known as the Jardin Émile Duclaux - the lawn near the Palais du Pharo with views of the water and city). Screenshot of a map of Marseille based on heat risk. Credit: French government, Cerema Lille The northern French city may come as some surprise to readers, as this part of France tends to see cooler temperatures during the summer, but the urban heat island effect really comes down to a lack of vegetation and green space. Lille had, as of 2024, about 15 m2 of green space per inhabitant. In contrast, France's ' most green ' city, Angers, had 102 m2 of green space per inhabitant (as of 2023), the city said on their website . Screenshot of a map of central Lille based on heat risk. Credit: French government, Cerema How to use the interactive map If you are curious about other parts of France, you can check out the map on the Cerema website, which even shows heat risk down to individual streets. Screenshot of Cerema map, showing all French cities at risk of urban heat island effect. Credit: French government, Cerema If you add an address or city into the search bar (in the upper right-hand corner), you can see how that specific area is coloured. There are several categories of local climate zones, or LCZs. Those in dark red and red (LCZs 1, 2, and 3) are for areas that are 'highly or very highly sensitive to the heat island effect'. These are compact areas of towers, buildings and houses. These areas are classified as 'requiring major adaptation measures' to withstand heat. READ MORE: Flooding, wildfire and 50C cities: How climate crisis will impact each region of France After that, urban planning becomes more spaced out, going medium sensitivity in brown and orange (LCZ 4 and 5), eventually to a peach colour for low or variable sensitivity (LCZ 6-9).
