This year has been one of natural disasters. So far so many natural disasters have hit various parts of the globe that it has even become difficult to count them. This time it is Fiji’s turn to feel the heat when a powerful cyclone hit the tiny island, damaging buildings and fields, affecting 5,000 people, who have been forced to desert their homes to save their lives.
The northern islands of Fiji bore the brunt of Cyclone Tomas, which is a category four storm, with winds of about 170km per hour (106 miles) striking the tiny nation. To add to the woes of the nation, the Fiji Meteorological Service has warned of intensified storm. Fishermen have been warned to keep away from the sea. Even a night time curfew has been declared in the affected areas.
Schools have been closed until Thursday. There will be no flights until the situation restores. Electricity lines have been severed, which has added to the torment of the cyclone-hit people. The cyclone was reportedly generating 7.2-meter high waves. The storm is now heading toward the northeast.
Smaller islands, particularly Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, have been badly hit by winds, gushing rains and ever-rising seas. Communication has already been lost with several smaller islands. Inia Seruiratu, an official in the northern region, moans at the pathetic situation, saying, "You can see trees swaying and likewise the electrical wires and cables that are running between the poles."
As Fiji battles another storm, people of this tiny island have once again lived the horrors of the 1972 devastating Hurricane Bebe. Fijian capital, Tuvalu, braces itself for facing natural wrath, as it lies on Viti Levu, one of the islands lying in the path of the storm.
