SUVA, Dec 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A powerful “super storm” has hit the Pacific Island nation of Fiji Thursday evening, bringing with it destructive hurricane-force winds, flooding and massive waves.
The severe category five Cyclone Yasa was carrying wind speeds of up to 240 kilometres per hour when it made landfall on the island of Vanua Levu, with wind gusts of up to 345kph, Fiji’s meteorological service said.
More than 1,000 evacuation centres have been prepared across Fiji’s two main islands, and the Government has declared a “State of Natural Disaster” for the next 30 days to respond to the crisis.
It is urging residents to stock up on food and water, board up windows and move to higher ground if safe to do so.
The country is now under curfew until Friday morning, to keep people off the streets unless they are evacuating.
Damaging winds and rain have been lashing homes and buckling trees all day, particularly on Fiji’s outlying islands.
Flash flooding and landslides are likely in some areas, with the Government warning waves as large as 14 metres could slam the coast.
“The Government is pleading with you to please move upland. We’re expecting storm surges,” Vasiti Soko, director of Fiji’s disaster office, said.
Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said 95 per cent of the country’s population — more than 850,000 people — were in the direct path of the storm.
“The impact forecast for this super storm is more or less all Fijians,” Bainimarama said in a video posted to Facebook.
But weather forecaster Neville Koop, director of NaDraki Weather service, said recent modelling suggested fewer people might be severely affected.
“In terms of the level of damage and destruction and potential for loss of life, I would say maybe 20 to 25 per cent of the population are in direct harm’s way,” he said.
Ilisapeci Rokotunidau, director of Fiji’s Red Cross, said her organisation had more than five hundred volunteers on the ground trained to help those fleeing the Cyclone.
“We’ve prepared them to be able to keep in touch with the National office and headquarters by mobile phone until their phones run out if the electricity runs out,” she said.
Cyclone Winston in 2016 was the last category five cyclone to hit Fiji. It generated winds of up to 330kph at its strongest.
It killed more than 40 people and remains the southern hemisphere’s strongest storm on record.
Bainimarama said Yasa “could easily surpass the record-breaking strength” of Cyclone Winston.
Aid organisations are concerned some Fijians will not be able to make it to evacuation centres in time.
“People are not moving fast enough to evacuation centres and we don’t know or have a rough idea how strong this cyclone is going to be,” Rokotunidau said.
There have already been local reports of roofs ripped being ripped off buildings by violent winds and families sheltering under their floors and beds.
Hundreds of Fijians are expected to spend the night sheltered in evacuation centres.
Some advocates fear the economic loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may mean families are ill-prepared to weather the storm.
Though agencies and non-government organisations are preparing for major relief efforts once Cyclone Yasa passes, organisations are urging people not to send goods to Fiji in the aftermath of the storm.
The World Food Program in Fiji has told people to “donate responsibly”, in an effort to ensure authorities do not waste time sorting through tonnes of donations. — NNN-AGENCIES
