SAINT REUNION: Authorities ordered all people on La Reunion island to stay indoors for several hours on Friday as Cyclone Garance’s fierce winds caused destruction across the French Indian Ocean territory.

Winds of up to 230 kilometres per hour battered the territory of 900,000 people and the storm earlier forced the closure of the main airport on nearby Mauritius.

Residents posted pictures online of uprooted trees, torn-off roofs and flooded homes on La Reunion. Power outages affected around 145,000 people across the island, while 82,000 had no drinking water and 39,000 were without internet access, authorities said.

Authorities imposed a maximum “purple alert” for several hours early Friday, confining the entire population — including law enforcement and emergency services — to homes and offices. This was eased at midday (0800 GMT) so that police and emergency services could get out but authorities still ordered the rest of the population to remain indoors.

Garance landed on the island’s north and barrelled south. Weather service Meteo France said it would take up to three hours for the cyclone to cross La Reunion and head out to sea again.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2025