what is the difference between red alert and purple alert?

«This is a serious time. Mayotte has never experienced such a situation”declared Friday December 13 the president of the departmental council of Mayotte, Ben Issa Ousseni. The inhabitants of the Indian Ocean archipelago are affected this Saturday by the passage of Chido, an intense tropical cyclone. “This is an unprecedented event, extremely violent, the winds could exceed 180 km/h”explained the prefect of the department François-Xavier Bieuville during a press conference.

At 7 a.m. this morning, Mayotte went into purple alert, the highest level of cyclone alerts, by a decision of the prefect, before returning to red alert shortly after noon.

Containment of the population

All morning, residents were called by the prefecture to “remain confined in a solid dwelling, with a stock of water and food available to survive the cyclone”. A strict obligation within the framework of the purple alert, which remains strongly recommended in red alert. Despite this demotion, the prefecture continues to ask not to “go out under no circumstances”. The population is also urged to cut off the power, and to “only call if absolutely necessary”. A Public Information Unit (CIP) is nevertheless activated at 09.70.80.90.40. This number does not replace the emergency numbers 17, 18 and 15.

On the other hand, the move to a red alert will make it possible to deconfine law enforcement and emergency services. Since this morning, the latter should, like the population, “confine yourself and will not be able to intervene throughout the purple alert”indicates the prefecture website, which encourages the Mahorais to “follow the official instructions given by the authorities on the radio (Mayotte La 1ère) and on the prefecture’s website and social networks”.

Early this morning, the prefecture warned that the purple alert would be “followed by a red alert phase during which you will have to remain confined to a shelter.” And to ask the inhabitants: “Wait for the red alert to be lifted and official instructions to go out. Yesterday evening, the prefect called on people housed in precarious housing, very numerous in the poorest department in France, to confine themselves to the accommodation centers opened by the authorities.