A three-month-old baby was one of two people killed when Category 5 Cyclone Yasa broke off Fiji’s second-largest island, Vanua Levu, on Thursday night. The cyclone destroyed hundreds of buildings and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.
As of Friday, the full extent of the damage has not yet been revealed, as many parts of the affected island were left without communications and were disrupted by flood waters.
There remained fears that a coming big wave would bring storm surges and further flooding of coastal areas.
At least two people have died, but that number is expected to rise as rescue crews arrive in the cut villages. Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has confirmed that a three-month-old baby has been killed by the cyclone. A 45-year-old man also died when his house in Labasa collapsed on him, the Fiji state broadcaster reported.
Bainimarama said Yasa is estimated to have caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and said the danger did not pass for some communities.
“Stay safe and stay away from flood waters,” he said. “If you are affected, help is on the way, rest assured, we will contact you easily.”
Prior to the storm, the government declared a nationwide state of emergency and imposed a left, with the entire country commanded inland for 14 hours overnight on Thursday.
The government had estimated that 850,000 people – 95% of Fiji’s population – would be directly affected by the cyclone.
The national disaster management office said 23,479 people sought shelter in 457 overnight evacuation centers Thursday through Friday morning, with thousands more sheltered in caves and church halls.
“Twenty houses and one community hall completely destroyed by tropical cyclone Yasa at Tiliva in Bua (province) on the island of Vanua Levu,” Josephine Prasad said on Facebook.
“No casualties have been reported so far. Everyone is grateful for the gift of life, but they need an urgent medical and food supply. Most are left with only their clothes on their backs and take shelter under their homes to be flooded by the rising waters that have swept away most of the animals as our families in Fijian clung to everything they could find. “
Fiji Red Cross general manager Ilisapeci Rokotunidau said his organization remained “concerned about the safety of thousands of people who have experienced the hardships of this monster storm.”
“Initial reports from volunteers reveal the destruction in Bua, a province on the island of Vanua Levu. The coastal areas of many islands have been affected by storm surges and flooding at storm height.
“Our teams report that community houses and buildings have been destroyed and crops have been flattened. There are large-scale power outages in the affected areas, “said Rokotunidau.
“Red Cross trained volunteers living in the same communities are responsible for providing first aid and assistance and for updating the national office’s emergency center as needed.”
Oxfam Pacific Regional Director Raijeli Nicole said that while Yasa was moving faster than expected, leaving less time to cause as much damage as it had feared, “it still has the potential to be devastating for hundreds of thousands of people in its path. “
“Coastal communities are particularly vulnerable to floods and expected coastal flooding in the lowlands, along with strong winds and heavy rains,” she said.
“We are extremely concerned about the potential for a second disaster in a disaster. Without assistance, people will be at risk of waterborne infections. “
Fiji’s response to Yasa will be further complicated by the global Covid-19 pandemic. Fiji has 11 active Covid-19 cases in quarantine at the border.
The cyclone is another blow to the country’s tourism-dependent economy, already devastated by pandemic shutdowns that have caused tens of thousands of job losses. Fiji’s economy has shrunk by more than 20% this year due to the pandemic.
Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, a sincere advocate on behalf of the Pacific for greater global action on climate change, stressed that Yasa hit 12 years until the day Cyclone Evan hit Fiji. He has consistently argued that climate change is making cyclones more frequent and intense in the Pacific.
“Since then, we have been hit by 12 more cyclones, two of which, Winston and Yasa, are now playing for the strongest storm in the history of our hemisphere.
“It is not normal. This is a climate emergency, “he said.
On the same day in 2012, Fiji endured Cyclone Evan.
Since then, we have been hit by 12 more cyclones – two of which (Winston and Yasa) are now playing for the strongest storm in the history of our hemisphere.
This is not normal.
This is a climate emergency. pic.twitter.com/mZuJZJUFpo
– Frank Bainimarama (@FijiPM) December 17, 2020
Meteorological data show that cyclones are becoming more intense and frequent in the Pacific. In some cases, the islands barely recovered from one cyclone before the other hit. Rarely, two Category 5 cyclones hit Fiji this year.
After passing over Vanua Levu, Cyclone Yasa was downgraded to category 4 and then to category 3, but the wind still gusts to 275 km / h.
And Tonga has now issued a cyclone warning for Yasa, with forecasts showing it is following close to its islands over the weekend.
Meanwhile, in Samoa, a separate tropical cyclone, Zazu, brought widespread flooding to the capital Apia.