Massive storm damage in Fiji SUVA – Aerial images of outer islands show massive devastation to homes and vegetation after Cyclone Winston hit Fiji at the weekend.

Cyclone Winston barrelled into the Fiji mainland and neighbouring smaller islands late on Saturday leaving at least 10 people dead, destroying entire villages, flooding low-lying areas, and wiping out crops.

The Fiji government says the devastation of the damage to homes and other infrastructure is “enormous” and relief teams comprising military personnel, health, and rehabilitation experts are now on standby to provide support.

Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has called a state of emergency and urged all government agencies to prioritise the deployment of their staff to worst affected communities to provide relief support and assistance.

The Category Five cyclone tore through the Fijian mainland and neighbouring smaller islands on Saturday night.

There were earlier reports of five to seven deaths, but it is feared that toll will climbed.

Contact has still not been made with the more remote eastern islands, which are feared to have been devastated.

Chairman of the Ba Mission Hospital, on the north of Viti Levu, Jay Dayal, said two people had died in the town, and two others were in a serious but stable condition.

He said the hospital had treated about 20 injured people, but he feared there were more who had not been able to reach medical centres.

“People living in the remote areas normally report to the health centres before coming to the hospital. Having said that, some places where a vast population has been affected there is absolutely no access to the health centres because there are power poles that have fallen across the road.”

Five other people are reported to have died, a state of natural disaster has been declared, and most schools closed for a week.

People’s Community Network national director Semiti Qalowasa works with many of Fiji’s squatter settlements said thousands were homeless after their flimsy homes were damaged by the cyclone.

“For the Suva area there have been 142 houses destroyed – totally destroyed. For the Western Division, 680 homes destroyed completely, while another 425 are unstable.”

Qalowasa said many of those who had lost their homes were now in evacuation centres.

A community broadcaster in the northern Viti Levu district of Tavua, Fane Lomani, said the cyclone decimated crops and infrastructure in the rural area.

Lomani said the people lived at a subsistence level and would be needing aid very soon.

Local news website FijiVillage reports ten deaths so far from Tropical Cyclone Winston.

Fiji’s National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) director Akapusi Tuifagalele says they have confirmation of a man dying in Koro – an island to the east – two in Ovalau – a large island off the east coast of Viti Levu – one in Qelekuro in Tailevu and one from Ra – both on the main island of Viti Levu.

He also says five people have been injured in Kade Village on Koro. All houses in the village have been destroyed including the church, school and community hall. (See photograph below.)

NDMO says the divisions are doing their initial damage assessments, which will be followed by detailed sectoral assessments to verify damage and cost on the ground.

There are also negotiations with the Australian government with a possibility of providing helicopters, ration assistance to maritime areas and assessment teams and medical evacuation.

Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has described Winston as the most powerful storm in the country’s recorded history, but he said the country would reclaim what it had lost.

Weather analysts say Tropical Cyclone Winston is the most powerful cyclone to hit the Southern Hemisphere. - PNC