Hurricane “Garance” Hits France’s Réunion Island: 4 Dead
French officials announced on Saturday that at least four people have died on Réunion Island, located in the Indian Ocean, due to Hurricane Garance, which has left behind significant destruction in this French territory.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Hurricane Garance struck the island on Friday, home to 900,000 residents, flooding streets, tearing off rooftops, and uprooting trees.
Authorities lifted the state of alert on Saturday morning but urged residents to remain indoors after Garance was downgraded to a severe tropical storm.
Officials also reported discovering the body of a man in the capital, Saint-Denis, after previously confirming the deaths of two women and a man due to floods, landslides, or fires caused by electrical short circuits.
Approximately 160,000 people remain without electricity, while over 950 residents have sought shelter in temporary housing centers.
Additionally, more than 310,000 people lack access to drinking water, and 140,000 are experiencing internet outages.
The central government’s representative on the island, Patrice Latron, stated: “We have a lot of work ahead of us. Roads are flooded and impassable.”
He also noted that Hurricane Garance was stronger than Hurricane Belal, which had already caused four deaths in Réunion in January 2024 and resulted in damages estimated at nearly 100 million euros.
