Fiji hunkers down as cyclone hits
PM says super storm Yasa could easily surpass deadly damage of 2016’s Winston
Fiji was battered by Cyclone Yasa last night, as the Category 5 storm ripped up trees, blew away homes and flooded parts of the island nation. A state of disaster was in force, and a nationwide curfew in effect.
The Government said more than 1400 people were sheltering in evacuation centres nationwide.
The northern island of Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second largest, was in the direct path of the storm, and in the province of Bua rooftops and debris were sent flying as villagers in the area evacuated.
As Yasa bore down on the island nation destructive winds averaged up to 240km/h, gusting as high as 345km/h at its centre.
In Nasarawaqa, five families were reportedly sheltering under the floor of a house last night after their homes were blown away, while others in Tabia were hiding under beds, Fiji Village reported. Another family in Seaqaqa were huddled in the corner of their house after half their roof was blown off.
Video from the region Levu showed intense winds blowing the sea across coastal areas, roofs being blown off houses and trees falling in the wind. Power was out across much of the northern division and authorities said there was extensive flooding and some landslides.
In coastal areas, waves were expected to reach 14m or more with damaging heavy swells, the Fiji Meteorological Service said.
Daria local Jope Maravu told FBC News almost everyone in the village was hunkered down in evacuation centres at the school and church, and Cyclone Yasa appeared to be far worse that Cyclone Winston.
Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said Cyclone Yasa could easily surpass the devastation of 2016’s Cyclone Winston, which flattened villages, killed 44 people, made tens of thousands homeless and caused an estimated US$1.4 billion ($1.9b) damage.
“The impact forecast for this latest super storm is more or less the entire country.”
Bainimarama said 850,000 people were in the direct path of the cyclone and the Government stood ready to respond immediately.
“On this same day in 2012, Fiji was enduring Cyclone Evan,” he said. “Since then, we’ve been battered by 12 more cyclones — two of which
This is not normal. This is a climate emergency. Frank Bainimarama Fiji Prime Minister
(Winston and Yasa) are now jockeying for our hemisphere’s strongest-ever storm in history.
“This is not normal. This is a climate emergency.”
However, according to the fijivillage website, forecasters at the Nadi Weather Office said late last night the warning for the Suva and Nausori areas had been downgraded from destructive hurricane-force winds to damaging storm-force winds because Yasa’s centre had taken a more southeasterly direction.
It would now go over Koro Sea on to Southern Lau, forecasters said.
Village elder Paula Cama, from Nabouwalu in Bua, said that during Winston people did not heed the warnings from authorities.
This time, he told RNZ Pacific from an evacuation centre, they weren’t taking any chances.
“We have brought supplies and food including cassava and breadfruit from our gardens as we don’t know how long we are going to be here.”