Les fortes pluies qui se sont abattues depuis hier sur l'archipel de la Société (200 mm en 48h) ont provoqué de nombreux incidents, mais aucune victime humaine.

Les incidents les plus significatifs sont :

-La fermeture de l'aéroport de Tahiti-Faa'a entre 12h et 14h environ, en raison de l'inondation de la piste.

-La neutralisation de la RDO entre Punaauia et Papeete, en raison d'un glissement de terrain au niveau de Tipaerui,

As Cyclone Pat threatens to follow in the footsteps of Cyclone Oli, one French Polynesian community is struggling to cope with the aftermath.

The island of Tubuai in the Austral Island group, south of Tahiti, was the worst affected by last weeks storm. Luckily none of the 2,000-plus inhabitants were seriously injured, but about 200 homes were completely destroyed by heavy winds and high waves.

Presenter: Geraldine Coutts

Speaker: Alain Glyphe, manager of Tubuai Centre rental shop

On 4 February 2010, Severe Tropical Cyclone Oli struck the islands of Bora Bora, Tahiti, and Tubuai in French Polynesia with sustained winds of 185 kph and gusts of up to 260 kph. Waves up to eight meters in height struck the islands. An estimated 600 homes were destroyed and all communications were cut for two days. Tubuai, an island in the Australes, was especially hard-hit. The initial estimate of damage in Tubuai alone is around USD 11M.

HEALTH IMPACT

An estimated 3 400 people were evacuated

A man on the southern island of Tubuai was reportedly washed out to sea by a wave.

The Cyclone is expected to hit the Austral Island group later tonight, and authorities say they will only be able to send help once the bad weather has passed.

After damaging hundreds of buildings and cutting power to a fifth of the main islands of Tahita and Moorea, there are now serious concerns for Rurutu and particularly for Tubuai - which are part of the Austral Islands.

Caroline Lafargue from Radio Australia's

PAPEETE, France, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Cyclone Oli hit French Polynesia on Thursday, forcing hundreds of people living on the coast to be evacuated, hitting transport and driving tourists into temporary shelters.

Authorities told residents to stay indoors as winds of up to 200 km (125 miles) an hour threw up waves of up to 7 metres (23 ft).

On Tahiti, the main island in the vast and widely spread South Pacific ocean territory, several hundred people were forced to abandon houses near the shore overnight although the impact was lessening as the storm moved away.