Tropical Cyclone Garance slammed into the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion on Friday, bringing winds over 200 km/h (124 mph), heavy rain, and widespread damage.
Authorities urged residents to stay indoors as floods, power outages, and infrastructure damage spread across the island.
The Reunion prefecture reported that 683 people had taken refuge in emergency shelters, while 54 others were evacuated due to the risk of flooding and landslides. No casualties have been reported.
Approximately 30% of homes lost power, and nearly 10% of the island’s 885,000 residents were left without drinking water. Strong winds ripped off roofs, doors, and windows, prompting authorities to send tarpaulins to the worst-hit areas in the island’s eastern region.
On Friday morning, authorities lifted the purple cyclone warning, the highest alert level, allowing rescue operations to begin. However, a red warning remains in place, with officials warning that heavy rain and strong winds will continue.
According to Meteo France, wind speeds reached 214 km/h at Reunion’s main airport. The storm is the latest in a series of powerful cyclones to hit the region in recent months.
Reunion is located 1,500 kilometers southeast of the French territory of Mayotte, which faced one of its worst cyclones in nearly a century last December. Cyclone Chido left widespread destruction, killing 40 people and leaving 41 others missing or presumed buried.
As Cyclone Garance moves away, authorities are now assessing the damage and working to restore essential services to those affected.