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Al Jazeera
01-03-2025
- Climate
- Al Jazeera
Four dead as Cyclone Garance wrecks France's La Reunion island
At least four people have been killed as Cyclone Garance struck the French overseas territory of La Reunion island, authorities said. The cyclone struck on Friday, making landfall in the north of the Indian Ocean island east of Madagascar, blowing away roofs and cutting power and access to drinking water for many residents. It exited the southwest of the island several hours later, French weather office Meteo-France said, adding that the worst of the storm had passed. 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, authorities said on 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, authorities said on Friday. Around 160,000 people were still without electricity, while more than 950 were staying in temporary accommodation centres on Saturday. More than 310,000 residents had no access to drinking water and nearly 140,000 were without internet access. Patrice Latron, the central government representative on the island, said 'a lot of work' would be needed, with many roads blocked by fallen trees. 'Roads are flooded, roads are cut off and some washed away,' he added. During the passage of the cyclone on Friday, Meteo-France recorded winds of up to 230km (143 miles) per hour in Piton Sainte-Rose on the island's eastern coast. 'The cyclone is still a threat for the island, I call on all to follow local authorities' instructions,' French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said on X on Friday. 'Our thoughts are with them and their loved ones who have been hit hard.' The nearby tourist island of Mauritius shut its main airport on Wednesday, while La Reunion shut down flights on Thursday. Its international airport was to reopen late on Saturday. 'First time I've been afraid' Residents said the force of the cyclone was frightening. 'This is the first time I've seen a cyclone this powerful, and also the first time I've been afraid,' Vincent Clain, 45, who lives in Sainte-Marie on the northern coast, told the AFP news agency. He said the storm uprooted trees in his garden. 'I thought they would crash onto the house,' he said. Clain, his wife, their son and dog hid in their kitchen, 'the safest area of the house'. Aline Etheve, a resident of Sainte-Suzanne on the coast, said she was worried the roof of her house would collapse after the storm destroyed her garden fence.
Asharq Al-Awsat
01-03-2025
- Climate
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Cyclone Death Toll Rises to Four on Ravaged French Island
French authorities said Saturday that at least four people died in Cyclone Garance's devastating crossing of the Indian Ocean island of La Reunion. The body of a man was found trapped under one of thousands of trees ripped up by winds of up to 230 kilometers (143 miles) per hour that tore across the island of some 900,000 people on Friday, authorities said giving the new toll. The other victims, two women and a man, were carried away by flash floods, trapped in a mudslide or killed by an electrical fire sparked by the storm, according to the prefecture. More than 180,000 people were left without electricity and more than 170,000 without water, authorities said, according to AFP. The nearby tourist island of Mauritius shut its main airport on Wednesday, while Reunion shut down to flights on Thursday. About 200 firefighters and civil aid workers were to be sent from Mayotte -- a French territory nearly 1,500 kilometres away -- and mainland France, the government said. Troops have also been put on standby. Residents posted pictures online of uprooted trees, torn-off roofs and flooded homes. Entire streets were inundated and cars washed away. Patrice Latron, the central government representative on the island, said "a lot of work" would be needed with many roads blocked by fallen trees. "Roads are flooded, roads are cut off and some washed away. Bridges have come down," he added. Latron said Garance was fiercer than cyclone Belal that killed four people on Reunion in January 2024.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Three dead as 'brutal' cyclone sweeps through Reunion
Three people have died in Reunion after Cyclone Garance swept through the French Indian Ocean territory with gusts of up to 234km/h (145mph). The tropical cyclone left more than 180,000 homes without power and 170,000 without running water after making landfall on Friday morning. The remote island's entire population - including emergency services and police - were ordered to stay indoors as the maximum alert level was imposed. Heavy storm rains were expected to continue on Friday evening, with Prime Minister Francois Bayrou warning on X that the cyclone remained a threat. The "brutal and violent" conditions were worse than Cyclone Belal, which killed four people on the island in January 2024, Prefect Patrice Latron said. Garance made landfall in the north of Reunion at 10:00 local time (06:00 GMT), before sweeping south and exiting the island by late afternoon, according to weather agency Meteo France. Local authorities reduced the alert level by midday to allow emergency services and police to leave their shelters. The top wind speed of 234km/h had not been recorded on the island since Cyclone Hollanda in February 1994. Vincent Clain, 45, a resident of the island's northern coast, told news agency AFP: "This is the first time I've seen a cyclone this powerful, and also the first time I've been afraid." Some 100 troops and firefighters were on standby to be dispatched from the French territory of Mayotte nearly 1,500km (930 miles) away when conditions eased, as well as 100 from mainland France. Meanwhile, a 55-year-old man went missing in nearby Mauritius on Wednesday after going swimming in rough seas. France's Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said Friday that Garance was of a "rare intensity", while Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said armed forces stood ready to provide assistance. Reunion profile
Al Arabiya
28-02-2025
- Climate
- Al Arabiya
Three dead as Cyclone Garance batters French island
Cyclone Garance barreled across La Reunion island on Friday killing three people as fierce winds left destruction across the French Indian Ocean territory, authorities said. Winds of up to 230 kilometres (143 miles) per hour battered the territory of 900,000 people and the storm earlier forced the closure of the main airport on nearby Mauritius. 'Three victims,' the prefect of La Reunion said on X. One woman in her 50s was swept away in torrential water in Saint-Denis, while a man was killed in an electrical fire, also in the capital, authorities said. One other woman died in a mudslide in Trois Bassins, in the west of the island, the prefecture told AFP. Five more people were injured. The red alert ordering the confinement of the population will be maintained until Saturday morning, Prefect Patrice Latron told reporters. More than 180,000 households were without power, more than 170,000 without water while 134,000 people had lost mobile phone coverage, according to authorities. Residents posted pictures online of uprooted trees, torn-off roofs and flooded homes. Entire streets were inundated and cars washed away. 'I watched my car being overturned by the torrent, and there was nothing I could do,' said Adrien, a resident of Saint-Andre on the northeastern coast, who declined to give his last name. 'First time I've been afraid' Authorities imposed a maximum alert for several hours Friday, confining the entire population -- including law enforcement and emergency services -- to homes and offices. That was eased so that police and emergency services could circulate but authorities still ordered the rest of the population to remain indoors. Prefect Latron said that Garance was fiercer than cyclone Belal that killed four people on La Reunion in January 2024. Garance landed on the island's north and barrelled south before heading back out to sea. While the violent gusts and torrential rain eased, heavy rain and strong winds persisted. Residents said the force of the cyclone was frightening. 'This is the first time I've seen a cyclone this powerful, and also the first time I've been afraid,' said Vincent Clain, 45, who lives in Sainte-Marie on the northern coast. He told AFP by telephone that the storm had uprooted trees in his garden. 'I thought they would crash onto the house,' he said. Clain, his wife, their son and dog hid in their kitchen, 'the safest area of the house'. Aline Etheve, a resident of Sainte-Suzanne on the coast, said she was worried the roof of her house would collapse after the storm destroyed her garden fence. 'I must admit I'm a little scared,' she said, adding that her power and wifi access were gone. More than 800 people took shelter in emergency structures across the island. 'Rare intensity' Around 100 troops and firefighters were to be dispatched from Mayotte -- a French territory nearly 1,500 kilometres away -- as soon as weather conditions permit. Another 100 are to arrive from mainland France. La Reunion and Mauritius -- around 225 kilometres to the northeast -- had been on high alert since Wednesday. Mauritius shut its main airport on Wednesday, while La Reunion did the same on Thursday. France's Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said Friday that Garance was of a 'rare intensity', while Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said armed forces stood ready to provide assistance. In Saint-Denis, residents had scrambled to stock up on essentials. Farmers dismantled greenhouses and fishermen pulled boats onto land. 'It is a feeling of being powerless,' said Jean-Christophe Hoareau, a farmer. Marie Rose Gaze, 61, who lives in Saint-Denis, told AFP that she had seen 'all kinds of things' blown out of a building across from her home. 'Satellite dishes, clothes lines and even chunks of cement.'
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Three dead as 'brutal' cyclone sweeps through Reunion
Three people have died in Reunion after Cyclone Garance swept through the French Indian Ocean territory with gusts of up to 234km/h (145mph). The tropical cyclone left more than 180,000 homes without power and 170,000 without running water after making landfall on Friday morning. The remote island's entire population - including emergency services and police - were ordered to stay indoors as the maximum alert level was imposed. Heavy storm rains were expected to continue on Friday evening, with Prime Minister Francois Bayrou warning on X that the cyclone remained a threat. The "brutal and violent" conditions were worse than Cyclone Belal, which killed four people on the island in January 2024, Prefect Patrice Latron said. Garance made landfall in the north of Reunion at 10:00 local time (06:00 GMT), before sweeping south and exiting the island by late afternoon, according to weather agency Meteo France. Local authorities reduced the alert level by midday to allow emergency services and police to leave their shelters. The top wind speed of 234km/h had not been recorded on the island since Cyclone Hollanda in February 1994. Vincent Clain, 45, a resident of the island's northern coast, told news agency AFP: "This is the first time I've seen a cyclone this powerful, and also the first time I've been afraid." Some 100 troops and firefighters were on standby to be dispatched from the French territory of Mayotte nearly 1,500km (930 miles) away when conditions eased, as well as 100 from mainland France. Meanwhile, a 55-year-old man went missing in nearby Mauritius on Wednesday after going swimming in rough seas. France's Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said Friday that Garance was of a "rare intensity", while Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said armed forces stood ready to provide assistance. Reunion profile
