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A cyclone alert in force for French Polynesia was lifted for the main island of
Tahiti as tropical cyclone Oli brushed past and is now heading for French
Polynesia Austral (Southern) group.
Fri, 5 Feb 2010
PAPEETE, Tahiti. A cyclone alert in force for French Polynesia was
lifted for the main island of Tahiti as tropical cyclone Oli brushed past
and is now heading for French Polynesia Austral (Southern) group.
Overnight, Cyclone Oli battered the central islands of the French Pacific
territory, with six-metre waves and damaging winds. An estimated twenty
per cent of households on Tahiti remained without electricity, the local
operator said on Friday. It earlier decided to shut off to prevent any risk
to the network and population. There have also been reports of heavy
flooding on coastal low lying areas of Tahiti and neighbouring Moorea
islands with an estimated fifty houses and buildings damaged at one level
or another. Bridges and dams have also been washed away. Several
thousand inhabitants have had to move to community centres. Over five
hundred tourists were stranded in hotels and resorts, especially on Bora
Bora atoll, a popular holidaymaker destination. Several roads (including
the ring road around Tahiti) have been cut to traffic due to high swells
and the fall of trees. Emergency services were on Friday working to
restore traffic normalcy. Two serious casualties and another ten injured
were so far reported. Domestic and international air services out of the
capital Papeete were still discontinued and schools remained closed until
further notice.