Tropical Cyclone Garance struck Réunion Island on February 28, located in the Indian Ocean to the east of Madagascar. Authorities declared the highest level of danger and urged residents to stay in shelters.
Wind gusts reached 124 miles per hour, comparable to a Category 3 hurricane in the Atlantic. The storm brought heavy rains, causing flash floods and landslides. Thousands of trees were uprooted, roads and bridges were damaged, and hundreds of homes were flooded.
Four people died: two were swept away by the floodwaters, one was trapped under debris after a landslide, and another died from an electrical fire.
Réunion's airport closed ahead of the storm’s arrival, while nearby Mauritius canceled all flights on Wednesday. Hundreds of firefighters and rescuers were mobilized to deal with the aftermath, and the military was put on high alert.
At least 180,000 homes were left without electricity, nearly the same number without water supply, and 139,000 without internet and communication.
Residents shared images of the destruction on social media: torn roofs, flooded streets, and washed-away cars. One local resident admitted, "I’ve never seen such a powerful cyclone before, and for the first time, I was scared."
It’s important to note that cyclones frequently approach Réunion Island, causing damage, but direct hurricane-strength hits are extremely rare. The last such event occurred over 30 years ago.
Last week, an unusual and alarming situation unfolded in the Southern Hemisphere: six tropical cyclones simultaneously formed in the southern parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This hasn’t been seen here since 1989!
With the ocean warming faster every year, tropical cyclones are becoming stronger and more destructive. What are the hidden mechanisms behind this process, and can it be slowed down? What technologies will help restore the balance of the oceans and protect us from future disasters? Answers to these questions are in the science documentary "The Anthropogenic Factor in the Ocean's Demise."