Cyclone Garance Devastates La Reunion, Leaving Three Dead

The powerful storm brought winds of up to 143 mph, widespread destruction, and significant power and water outages to the French Indian Ocean island.

Cyclone Garance struck La Reunion on Friday, killing at least three people and causing widespread damage across the island of 900,000 residents.
Wind speeds reached up to 143 mph, uprooting trees, tearing off roofs, and causing severe flooding that washed away cars and inundated streets.
Over 180,000 households lost power, while tens of thousands faced water shortages and disruptions to mobile and internet services.
Authorities issued the highest-level 'purple alert,' confining residents to their homes for hours, before downgrading the alert to red as conditions began to improve.
Hundreds sought refuge in emergency shelters, while rescue operations and aid efforts were mobilized from nearby French territories and mainland France.