The prefect of this French department-region located in the Indian Ocean announced the triggering of the red cyclone alert from this Sunday 4 p.m. UT.
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From this Sunday evening until Tuesday morning, “ everyone must confine themselves to a safe place », asked prefect Jérôme Filippini during a press conference. The State representative in Reunion called on the island’s approximately 870,000 inhabitants to “ devote the next few hours to doing nothing other than preparing for confinement “, in particular by ensuring ” place to shelter ” and of ” the availability of [leurs] reserves “.
In a message posted on do not go out, do not circulate “. “ All means have been mobilized » to help them, added the Minister of the Interior and Overseas Territories, who assured to follow “ from close » the evolution of the situation, in conjunction with President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. On the same social network, the president of the region Huguette Bello invited “ Reunion Islanders exercise the greatest caution “. “ A severe test comes before us “, she estimated.
Six living centers have been set up for patients requiring equipment for their care, in addition to the 142 accommodation centers deployed throughout the region to accommodate people in precarious circumstances or those living on the banks of ravines or rivers in case of flooding, according to the authorities.
Authorities fear that Belal, which is currently a “strong tropical storm” located some 280 kilometers northwest of Reunion, will become an “intense tropical cyclone” on Monday as it passes over the island or its immediate vicinity. Its winds could be ” devastating » according to Météo France, which speaks of a cyclone “ who could make history ” Of the reunion.
“ Major event »
Reunion has not been hit by an intense cyclone for ten years and the passage of Bejisa in the first days of 2014. “ What is happening in Reunion is a phenomenon which is undoubtedly even more intense than what we could evoke yesterday when we gave references to ten years, twenty years “, warned the prefect, rather referring to Jenny in 1962. “ That tells you how serious it is “, he added.
According to Météo France, “ Cyclone Belal will be intense with winds that could exceed 200 km/h on the coast and 250 km/h, or even more » in the heights of the island. “ Destructive and devastating winds that can cause great damage », Estimated Sébastien Langlade, head of forecasting at Météo France Réunion. Given the expected precipitation, certain watercourses, certain ravines, will undoubtedly exceed the red threshold tomorrow Monday. These are thresholds which have references to 30 years or 100 years. This means that we are going to have a major event », insisted the prefect.
If tension begins to rise, many Reunion Islanders are still taking advantage of the last hours of calm to go for a walk. Food and water supplies have been made, but few of them have barricaded their habitats. Some even doubt the violence of the event and say they are not taking any special precautions. “ All we have to do now is wait », a resident slipped to our correspondent on the island at midday, Lola Fourmywhile scanning the already very gray sky.
(And with AFP)