30 Jan 2013

Freda damage in New Caledonia assessed at US$10m

4:24 pm on 30 January 2013

The French overseas territories minister says the tropical depression Freda four weeks ago caused damage worth ten million US dollars in New Caledonia.

During the storm, which brought heavy rain and high winds, two people drowned.

The minister, Victorin Lurel, says almost all damage reported was to public buildings.

He says in Wallis and Futuna 400,000 US dollars has been released in emergency assistance after the territory was hit by Cyclone Evan last month.