Heavy rainfall affected part of French Polynesia on Monday.
They caused flooding of homes and businesses as well as the submersion of roads, say the authorities in this Pacific territory.
The heavy rains caused many rivers to burst their banks and caused landslides and tree falls in the archipelago of the Leeward Islands and that of the Windward Islands, the most populated, where Tahiti and Moorea.
Monday morning (evening in Paris), emergency services carried out “around a hundred interventions”, according to the chief of staff of the High Commissioner of the Republic, Emilia Havez.
No casualties were reported.
But the Polynésie 1ere channel specifies that the army was called in to reinforce civilian resources.
“Remarkable quantities” but “not exceptional”
The local government issued an order noting the state of natural calamity, according to the president of French Polynesia, Moetai Brotherson, in order to allow "the mobilization of the necessary means (...), in particular financial means", he said. added.
“Very heavy rainfall in a short time” affected the two archipelagos, according to Philippe Frayssine, director of Météo-France Polynésie.
“In a valley near Papeete, we were at 105 millimeters in two hours (…).
That’s more than 100 liters per square meter in two hours.
These are remarkable quantities” but “not exceptional”, he noted.
In Tahiti, many rivers flooded roads and neighborhoods.
The rains of the last few days have already waterlogged the soil.
Schools had to close
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A new episode of heavy rain is expected during the night from Monday to Tuesday (late Tuesday morning in Paris).
All schools were closed for the day on Tuesday.
The authorities have encouraged companies to favor teleworking for their employees.
Water and mountain activities have been prohibited.
The orange heavy rain warning was maintained on the Windward Islands.
Last week, part of Polynesia was placed on cyclone pre-alert due to the passage of tropical depression Nat.
The phenomenon caused no injuries or major damage.