3 Lives Lost as Cyclone Garance Devastates La Réunion

Friday 28th February saw the tragic toll of Cyclone Garance rise as the ferocious storm wreaked havoc across the French Indian Ocean island of La Réunion, resulting in the deaths of three individuals. With winds peaking at a staggering 230 km/h, the cyclone has left a trail of destruction in its wake, affecting a territory of 900,000 inhabitants and leading to the closure of the main airport in nearby Mauritius.

The prefect of La Réunion reported the fatalities on social media platform X, detailing the heartbreaking losses amid the chaos.

A woman in her 50s was tragically swept away by raging waters in Saint-Denis, while a man perished in an electrical fire, also in the capital.

Another woman lost her life when a mudslide struck Trois Bassins on the island’s west coast. Additionally, five more residents sustained injuries during the storm.

In response to the cyclone’s onslaught, Prefect Patrice Latron announced that the red alert ordering residents to stay indoors would remain in effect until Saturday morning.

The storm left more than 180,000 households without electricity, over 170,000 without water, and 134,000 people had lost mobile phone services, according to local authorities.

Desperate residents took to social media to share images of uprooted trees, ripped-off roofs, and homes flooded beyond recognition. Entire streets were submerged, and cars were swept away.

Adrien, a resident of Saint-André on the northeastern coast, shared his harrowing experience: “I watched my car being overturned by the torrent, and there was nothing I could do.”

Fear gripped the island, as locals described the cyclone’s ferocity.

“This is the first time I’ve seen a cyclone this powerful, and also the first time I’ve been afraid,” noted Vincent Clain, 45, a resident of Sainte-Marie.

He revealed that trees in his garden had been uprooted, leaving him fearful they would crash onto his house.

Clain, along with his family, sought refuge in their kitchen, the perceived safest part of their home.

Aline Etheve, from Sainte-Suzanne, expressed her trepidation, worried that the storm had compromised her roof following the destruction of her garden fence:

“I must admit I’m a little scared,” she confessed, lamenting the loss of power and internet connectivity.

Emergency shelters have been established, with more than 800 individuals seeking refuge from the storm’s wrath.

In the face of these dire circumstances, around 100 military personnel and firefighters are set to be dispatched from Mayotte, a French territory nearly 1,500 km away, with another contingent of 100 travelling from mainland France as conditions permit.

La Réunion and Mauritius had been on heightened alert since Wednesday 26 February, with the airport in Mauritius closing its doors that same day, and La Réunion following suit on Thursday.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau described Cyclone Garance as possessing a “rare intensity,” while Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed that armed forces were on standby to provide assistance.

As residents in Saint-Denis scrambled to stock up on essential supplies, farmers dismantled greenhouses and fishermen secured their boats.

“It is a feeling of being powerless,” lamented farmer Jean-Christophe Hoareau.

The fury of the cyclone prompted Marie Rose Gaze, 61, to recount her fears of witnessing debris come flying out of a building opposite her home:

“Satellite dishes, clothes lines, and even chunks of cement,” she recalled, adding that at one point, she feared “the whole building would come down.”

As La Réunion grapples with the aftermath of this devastating cyclone, the community stands united in facing the challenges ahead, mourning the losses while beginning the daunting task of recovery.

Source: FMT