In a press release on Thursday morning, the High Commissioner for the Republic in French Polynesia, equivalent to the prefecture in mainland France, reported material damage off the coast of Tahiti and Moorea, in the Society archipelago.
In Teahupo’o, a small town on the Tahiti peninsula where the 2024 Olympics surfing event will take place, around fifty houses were damaged, according to local channel TNTV.
Due to very strong winds
A little further on, in Papeari, several families had to be evacuated in the middle of the night.
There is no need to regret human losses, but two people were injured “during nautical activities”, indicates the high commission.
Seven airfields are “unavailable” in the Tuamotu-Gambier archipelago due to clean-up operations, according to the press release.
According to Météo-France, such a phenomenon had not occurred since 2005.
“This exceptional swell is due to a large depression that is 2,000 km south of French Polynesia, with very strong winds over a large area,” Sébastien Hugony, of Météo-France French Polynesia, told AFP.
Surfers defy danger
The phenomenon is not related to climate change, he said. Big wave surfers have defied the bans.
“We have been waiting for this all our lives. So there may be police, tickets, here we go. We live to surf (…) They are fully assumed risks”, says Heiarii, passionate about bodyboarding.
At the Sapinus spot, in Punaauia, on the island of Tahiti, the waves reached 6 to 8 m on Wednesday, he estimates.
Having passed the peak, Météo-France reduced its watch for thunderstorms on Thursday morning for the Tuamotu-Gambier and Austral archipelagos, and plans to do the same for the Society archipelago starting at noon.
Source: BFM TV
