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Powerful cyclone kills at least two people on French island of Mayotte VIDEO

Storms freeze US states of Iowa and Nebraska, unusual tornado warning issued in San Francisco

Dec 15, 2024 06:59 139

A powerful cyclone hit the French island of Mayotte on Saturday, killing at least two people and causing the most extensive destruction in the French overseas territory in almost a century, officials reported, quoted by Reuters and BTA.

French Interior Minister Bruno Rotayo said the government had sent 110 military officers and firefighters to the former French colony, which is located in the Indian Ocean, between Madagascar and mainland Africa. Another 140 people are expected to arrive today to help the locals.

"The damage is already very significant," Rotayo said in a post on the social network "Ex" (X).

Authorities have put the island on high alert and warned residents to stay indoors. Wind gusts reached around 200 km/h (124 mph), the prefect of Mayotte wrote in a post on "Facebook".

"Our island is currently deeply affected by the most violent and destructive cyclone we have seen since 1934. "Many of us have lost everything," the prefect explained.

The storm is expected to maintain its strength as it moves southwest of the archipelago, meteorologists said.

The two people who died were on the island of Pamandzi, part of Mayotte, French media reported, citing a security source.

President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister François Bayrou and Interior Minister Bruno Rétayo said in posts on social media that they were monitoring the situation closely. The prime minister's office said Bayrou would attend a meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Crisis Center on the situation.

Located almost 8,000 km (4,970 miles) from Paris, Mayotte is significantly poorer than the rest of France and has struggled with high crime rates and social unrest for decades.

An ice storm caused dangerous driving conditions in the US states of Iowa and eastern Nebraska this weekend. The worsening weather conditions led to the temporary closure of Interstate 80 after numerous cars and trucks left the roadway, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.

On Friday night, when the storm hit, many events were canceled, and local businesses announced plans to reopen late Saturday. Authorities urged people to stay home.

Temperatures are expected to rise soon enough to melt the ice cover in most places.

"Fortunately, warmer air masses are coming in," said Dave Cousins, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Davenport, Iowa.

The storm caused tornado warnings in San Francisco, where there was also damage.

For the first time in the city's history, a tornado warning was issued. The damage there is expected to be assessed later to determine whether a tornado actually occurred.

A tornado hit San Francisco in 2005, but it was out of control at the time, and no warning was issued by authorities.

Against this backdrop, the northeastern United States, particularly New York State, has been hit by heavy snowfall.

More than 33 inches (84 centimeters) of snow fell near Orchard Park, New York, a suburb of Buffalo.