Cyclone Garance Devastates La Réunion with Fatalities and Widespread Damage

Three deaths have been confirmed as the powerful storm brought destructive winds, torrential rains, and severe flooding to the Indian Ocean island.

Cyclone Garance struck La Réunion on Friday morning, with wind speeds recorded at over 200 km/h and waves reaching 9 meters high.
The storm has claimed three lives, including a woman swept into a sewer and a man killed in an electrical fire, with two more individuals reported missing.
Approximately 180,000 households lost power, 80,000 were without water, and over 114,000 people experienced disruptions to mobile networks and internet services.
Residents shared harrowing accounts of severe flooding, flying debris, and homes inundated, while emergency shelters housed 675 individuals across the island.
Authorities have emphasized the unprecedented intensity of the cyclone, with government forces and additional resources on standby to assist with recovery efforts as conditions improve.