After the passage of cyclone Belal, Reunion is working to return to normal life

5 mins

From our correspondent in Reunion,

Downed trees, even completely uprooted, torn power lines and landslides… These are the scenes of desolation that the people of Reunion were able to discover this Tuesday after the lifting of the red alert which had forced them to remain cloistered at home. them. So, without wasting time, everyone began to clean up the traces of the cyclone Belal. On the heights of Saint-Denis, Françoise’s home was hit by gusts reaching 180 km/h which caused water infiltration and some damage. “ Fortunately, the cyclone changed trajectory, otherwise we would have had even more damage », reassures the retiree.

In the commune of La Possession, in the north of the island, numerous power cuts have been reported, “ as well as sometimes impressive landslides », Reports Didier Fontaine, chief of staff to the mayor. The Mafate cirque, very popular with hikers, and also the victim of a water cut. For Didier Fontaine, Cyclone Belal caused much more damage than the 2023 hurricane season. Some residents also faced cases of flooding. This is the case of James, who lives near Étang Saint-Paul, an area particularly at risk. Since this morning, he has been cleaning his garden which has been completely flooded. with more than fifteen centimeters of water “. “ But luckily nothing came into the house “, he specifies.

Roads in catastrophic condition

The change from purple alert to red alert on Monday made it possible to check the condition of the roads and launch operations to secure them. On a small country road in the west of the island, Gilbert works for the transport department of the municipality of Saint-Paul. Hoisted on his backhoe loader, he has been clearing the roads in this town since 7 a.m. this morning. According to him, some are in a catastrophic state. “ Every cyclone is different, this one was a bit similar to Cyclone Firinga of 1989. At one point there was sunshine, then suddenly the cyclone came. » This Reunionese resident has been working for the town for 28 years and clearing the roads after a cyclone. For him, ” this one wasn’t the most impressive “.

The accommodation centers set up to prevent the passage of the cyclone, where only 600 people found refuge, are now almost all deserted. In total, three bodies of homeless people were found on the island after the devastating passage of the cyclone, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced on Tuesday. From now on, Belal “ no longer poses a threat to Reunion Island », assured Céline Jauffret, director of Météo France Réunion, during a joint press conference with the prefect of the island, Jérôme Filippini. “ Still noticeable gusts of 70 to 80 km/h can be observed in the heights of the island, but the weather conditions will continue to improve in the coming days. », specified Céline Jauffret.

The prefect still called on the Reunion Islanders – of whom there are more than 873,000 living on the island – to remain cautious, particularly on the roads. He also provided an initial assessment of the passage of Cyclone Belal. Around 42% of the population still does not have access to the internet, a third of households have experienced power cuts and 17% of Reunion Islanders have complicated or even impossible access to drinking water. For the moment, forest roads and hiking trails remain closed.

This lifting of the red alert should also allow a gradual resumption of economic and social activity on the island, but the prefect reminds companies that teleworking must be favored when possible in order to limit travel on the roads for the coming days. The other objective for the island is to allow pupils and students to return to schools on Monday January 22, the start of the school year.

Recognition of the state of natural disaster requested

Three permanent crisis units have also been set up: one for farmers, another for the economy in the broad sense and a final one dedicated to solidarity for vulnerable people. Cyclone Belal did not have the effect considered cataclysmic, but still caused heavy damage and the agricultural sector was the most affected », Estimated the president of the chamber of agriculture, Frédéric Vienne. For him, the losses are almost total with regard to market gardening production and there is growing concern for the dairy sector. Municipalities particularly focused on agriculture and livestock are experiencing problems with water distribution. In Plaine des Palmistes, a town perched at an altitude of 1,000 meters in the east of the island, “ dairy cow farmers no longer have water for their animals », Explains Joan Doro, deputy mayor. Frédéric Vienne and the president of the departmental council Cyrille Melchior are calling for recognition of the state of natural disaster as quickly as possible to allow aid in the most affected sectors.

The Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin is due to arrive on the island this Tuesday evening and is expected to spend the day Wednesday accompanying the victims of the cyclone and supporting the personnel responsible for relief. Firefighters with military training from civil security, gendarmes from Mayotte and France and agents from EDF and Enedis arrived on the island this Tuesday while Roland-Garros airport reopened. doors for the public in the evening.