- Home
- News On Sunday
- News
- Downpour threat scares
Downpour threat scares
- By News On Sunday
- Published 16th May, 2008
- News
-
Rating:
A sudden change in the weather at midday, followed by a blackout, ushered in an air of panic all over the island on Wednesday.
As soon as the Mauritius Meteorological Services announced sudden and heavy rainfall in the morning at around 9.00 a.m, the PSSA sent a circular letter to all schools with a communiqué of the Meteorological station leaving the headmasters to take a final decision.
On the other hand, the National Disaster Committee met at the PMO office at 12.15 p.m and decided to let go all civil servants.
When the news about the impending downpour was broadcast on the radios, all schools decided to close down. Everybody rushed home creating traffic jams.
Police was prompt in occupying all strategic points while the fire brigades remained at their respective stations as they did not receive any request for emergency intervention. The SMF stationed itself at high security points.
Hospitals did not report any unusual crowd.
At the airport business was as usual. At the port, the situation was none too different. There were
no ships queuing up.
The Ministry of Education remained on the alert throughout the day, waiting for the latest Meteorological forecast, to decide whether to close all schools or not on Thursday. However, the suspense ended at 5.00 p.m when the Minister himself announced live on RadioPlus “ that schools will resume normally on Thursday morning after the Met Services say there will be fair weather tomorrow” (Thursday).
The Assistant Director General of the Central Electricity Board told RadioPlus that the blackout started at around Noon and that the CEB took 2 to 3 hours to repair and re-establish 99% of the supply. The aftermath of the electrical storm resulted in the loss of two CEB generators and 70 Kw of electricity.
The Director of the Central Water Authority, Harry Booluck, deplores that mud clogged some of the filters causing lack of water in some areas.
The Water Resources Unit gave water levels in our reservoirs on Thursday morning as follows: Mare aux Vacoas – 65%; La Nicolière – 38.4%; Piton du Milieu – 83.9%; La Ferme – 92.1%, Mare Longue – 100% and Midlands dam – 96.9%.
As soon as the Mauritius Meteorological Services announced sudden and heavy rainfall in the morning at around 9.00 a.m, the PSSA sent a circular letter to all schools with a communiqué of the Meteorological station leaving the headmasters to take a final decision.
On the other hand, the National Disaster Committee met at the PMO office at 12.15 p.m and decided to let go all civil servants.
When the news about the impending downpour was broadcast on the radios, all schools decided to close down. Everybody rushed home creating traffic jams.
Police was prompt in occupying all strategic points while the fire brigades remained at their respective stations as they did not receive any request for emergency intervention. The SMF stationed itself at high security points.
Hospitals did not report any unusual crowd.
At the airport business was as usual. At the port, the situation was none too different. There were
The Ministry of Education remained on the alert throughout the day, waiting for the latest Meteorological forecast, to decide whether to close all schools or not on Thursday. However, the suspense ended at 5.00 p.m when the Minister himself announced live on RadioPlus “ that schools will resume normally on Thursday morning after the Met Services say there will be fair weather tomorrow” (Thursday).
The Assistant Director General of the Central Electricity Board told RadioPlus that the blackout started at around Noon and that the CEB took 2 to 3 hours to repair and re-establish 99% of the supply. The aftermath of the electrical storm resulted in the loss of two CEB generators and 70 Kw of electricity.
The Director of the Central Water Authority, Harry Booluck, deplores that mud clogged some of the filters causing lack of water in some areas.
The Water Resources Unit gave water levels in our reservoirs on Thursday morning as follows: Mare aux Vacoas – 65%; La Nicolière – 38.4%; Piton du Milieu – 83.9%; La Ferme – 92.1%, Mare Longue – 100% and Midlands dam – 96.9%.
Spread The Word
1 Response to "Downpour threat scares" 
|
said this on 16 May 2008 9:13:59 PM MUT
Is that normal that after every heavy rainfalls the whole country will have to close down. Needless to say, that worse weather conditions are present on nearly daily in nordic countries.
It's simple our current infrastructure is too old and archaic and we should improve and adapt to the new changing climatic conditions. This is the effect of the El Nino we are experiencing here. I witnessed the coming of the cloud the other day from the sea. It was monstruous and frightful! We should be expecting such more frequently from now on, you like it or not! So, we have to get prepared and the government should start investing in the construction of new trains on both sides of roads, bridges, drain canals, etc etc to avoid catastroph. The school closing down, the offices closing at midday...that's unbelievable! We over reacted! It's better late than never, serious corrective measures should be taken! |
Author)
