At 1900 hours, the intense tropical cyclone Freddy passed at its closest distance from the island at about 120 km to the north of Grand Bay at around 1600 hours and was moving west southwestward at a speed of about 30 km/h.
The class 3 warning was maintained because a slight southward bending of the system could bring the center of Freddy closer to Mauritius. However, Freddy was heading toward Reunion. Already, we are evaluating the damages caused. There were certainly scares, power cuts, trees falling, and houses and hotels on the littoral suffered some damage because of the high sea with heavy swells of the order of 7 meters beyond the reefs. Storm surges will continue to cause inundation along the low-lying coastal areas.
The highest gusts recorded at 1600 hours are as follows:
- Champ de Mars: 126 km/h.
- Riche Terre: 100 km/h.
- Vacoas: 96 km/h.
- Grand Bassin: 94 km/h.
- Riviere Noire: 76 km/h.
- Plaisance: 78 km/h.
There are 562 refugees in 19 operational evacuation centers across the island. This number could change depending on the evolution of the climate situation, according to officials. For now, the center at Residence La Cure is hosting the largest number of refugees (155 people). It is followed by Roche-Bois with 120 people and Bambous (103 refugees).
Due to the presence of the intense tropical cyclone Freddy, a pregnant woman had to be evacuated to the hospital by SMF. She is an inhabitant of Riviere du Rempart. She was rushed to SSRN hospital. The SMF was also requested to transport a resident of Henrietta to the Victoria Hospital, Candos.
From 8 am to 4 pm, according to a high official of the Mauritius Fire and Rescue Service, some 40 interventions were made. The fire brigade was called upon 34 times this morning to remove trees that had fallen on the roads, especially in the northern regions. Firefighters also responded to 6 fire incidents.
