Fiji Sun

Severe cyclones a part of life in the Pacific

Cyclone Gita will be the fourth category 5 cyclone to hit the Pacific since 2015. With each one, homes, infrastruc­ture and livelihood­s of the Pacific Islands in its path stand to be devastated.

- [CLIMATE CHANGE | RNZ] Article published in RNZ Feedback: jyotip@fijisun.com.fj

Tonga braced for the full force of Cyclone Gita last evening, with memories still fresh of another category five storm which caused major damage four years ago.

Cyclone Ian hit the outer Ha'apai island group in 2014, leaving thousands homeless. By 7pm Tonga time (8pm Fiji), Gita was forecast to become a Category Five cyclone, the highest level in the region's cyclone grading system.

It's making a beeline for the main island of Tongatapu, home to the capital Nuku'alofa and most of the population.

Gita will be the fourth category 5 cyclone to hit the Pacific since 2015. With each one, homes, infrastruc­ture and livelihood­s of the Pacific Islands in its path stand to be devastated.

Scientists have linked climate change to increased severity of cyclones, although not necessaril­y the frequency of cyclones.

Direct hit looming

A direct hit by Gita on Tonga will mean another major recovery effort for the small island state.

Following Cyclone Ian, the reconstruc­tion effort on Ha'apai was plagued with delays and an investigat­ion was ordered into missing funds meant to go towards the rebuild.

Gita is the first high magnitude cyclone to hit the Pacific island region this season which runs from November to April. NIWA predicted eight to 10 in the southwest Pacific, and up to six of them to be Category 3 or higher.

Cyclone Winston was the last Category 5 cyclone to hit the region, scoring a direct hit on Fiji in February 2016, killing 44 people, displacing tens of thousands and causing US$1.4 billion worth of damage.

Today the rebuild is still underway. At least 15 people died a year earlier in Vanuatu when the "monster" Cyclone Pam hit, causing widespread damage.

Traditiona­l means of coping

The people of the Pacific are well used to the ravages of cyclones, and have traditiona­l means of coping when monster storms approach.

They know the best parts of their island in which to shelter, which trees are the strongest, and which caves can be used in the case of an emergency.

Even the traditiona­l Pacific fale-type home structure can offer more flexibilit­y and resilience in a big storm than more modern, ramshackle homes built with corrugated iron and planks of wood and the ubiquitous and sturdy churches make safe boltholes in the eye of a storm. Resilient concrete homes are more commonplac­e these days in Nuku'alofa but still, as borne out during Cyclone Winston in Fiji, they are not failsafe.

Small island states, increasing­ly at risk from more frequent and intense storms zigzagging their way across the Pacific, have shown resilience in picking up the pieces after big storms hit.

But there is no avoiding extensive damage not only to homes but roads, schools and other infrastruc­ture when a cyclone passes over an island. Devastatin­g cyclones are just another pressure for the small, aid reliant countries of the Pacific.

 ?? Photo: NIWA ?? A map showing the projected path of Cyclone Gita.
Photo: NIWA A map showing the projected path of Cyclone Gita.
 ??  ?? The ruins left behind by Cyclone in 2014 in Tonga.
The ruins left behind by Cyclone in 2014 in Tonga.

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