NOUMEA, 20 FEBRUARY 2019 (RNZ PACIFIC) – The level two alert has been lowered for people in New Caledonia’s north as Cyclone Oma moves away from the territory.
The category three cyclone is about 250 kilometres away from the northern town of Koumac and is moving south west at 10 kilometres an hour.
Flooding has made some roads impassable in the archipelago’s North Province and the storm has cut electricity to thousands of people and injured one person.
Earlier, politician Philippe Gomès said the cyclone had also “dealt a rough blow” to agriculture and that food crops in the north were either “destroyed or severely damaged”.
Civil defence authorities lifted the alert at 6.30am local time and the affected areas are now in “safeguard” mode.
The pre-alert for the remainder of the territory has also been lifted.
People are still being warned about high winds and heavy rain and to avoid coastal areas particularly at high tide.
