?It is an epidemic,? reveal the police. The number of people that scorn cyclone warnings and go out of their homes is increasingly important. Official statistics reported two deaths during Gamede. However, more cases may have been deplored if the police had not reacted quickly. ?There is a need to make people liable for their actions,? recommends Max Louison from the Police Press Office.

While the cyclone was raging, the police had to deal with windsurfers on the East coast or surfers in Tamarin, just to mention a few cases. ?But there were a lot of cases where people showed irresponsibility?, comment police sources. The coastguards were also on the alert during the weekend when they fortunately managed to save the life of a fisherman.

It is true that Gamede has been particularly long to move away from the island. The country was under a cyclone warning class III for 36 hours and under class IV for a few additional hours. ?It is the first time it happens,? confirms the deputy director of the meteorological station in Vacoas, Suresh Boodhoo. It is also true that it?s been a long time since Mauritians had not been faced with such a violent cyclone and they may have become unaccustomed with usual precautions. But what makes people leave their homes, according to police sources, is more ?their arrogance that makes them feel very strong as soon as there is lull?.

In fact, many people indeed go out while nature is in eruption only because they are bored at home and curious to know what?s happening outside. Others may find it fun to go and play in the rain. Surfers may not have better waves than during a cyclone just like other people might find it ?intoxicating? to see nature in such turmoil. But, at a time when scrap iron is worth gold for some, many of those who were outside during the weekend could have been searching for crumpled metal sheet or old window bars.

Suresh Boodhoo from the met station has made the same statement: ?On Saturday night, there was a crowd at Poste-Lafayette who were looking at big waves. In the middle of a warning class III! But human beings are like that! We can?t say that people are not aware of the dangers and of the precautions to be taken. The only way of preventing this would be to abide by the law. In Reunion, if someone is caught driving during the red alert, he/she is booked. Here, the police are not even present on the roads.?

The deputy director of the met services is all the more right, as there are no police patrols during cyclones. ?We make interventions as and when we are informed that there is or may be a problem somewhere,? confirms the police press officer. As soon as the warning class II is in force, all members of the police force are mobilised but, in class III, there are no more patrols.

But the problem is even bigger. Even if the police are informed that people are risking their lives outside, they have no powers to force them inside. They can only advise them not to remain outside but there is no legislation that forbids people to remain on the roads, as it is the case in Reunion where people are fined when caught.

<B>Strongly advised</B>

In fact, people are strongly advised to stay at home but no legislation forces them to do so. What contributes to make people stay at home during cyclones is that their vehicles are not covered even by a comprehensive insurance policy. ?Even in class I, insurance does not cover the vehicle if a tree falls on your car unless you have a special insurance against cyclones offered by most companies?, Kiran Ancharaz, manager of the general branch of the Mauritius Union (MUA), points out.

But this only applies to vehicles and not people who will be covered if they ?go out for an emergency or even by negligence. Both the life insurance and the personal accident insurance will cover a person in case of injuries or even death,? comments Gérard Lok Okchoo, the operations manager of the general branch at the MUA.

Such legislation would indeed be welcome in Mauritius, as this would certainly reduce the number of people risking their lives and help the authorities. The idea had been raised after cyclone Dina affected Mauritius in 2002, as there were many cases of looting during the cyclone. But, since then, no progress has been made on this issue.