Fiji braces for strengthening Cyclone Evan

Updated

Evacuations have begun in Fiji ahead of the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Evan which has caused widespread damage in Samoa.

The cyclone expected to hit Fiji on Sunday is forecast to intensify into a category four or five storm as it approaches.

A state of disaster has been declared in Samoa after the storm left a trail of destruction and claimed at least two lives, with unconfirmed reports of many others missing.

Addressing the nation ahead of the storm, Fiji's interim leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama said the cyclone would affect the entire country.

"It has winds up to 180 kilometres per hour which may intensify and, if the weather forecasters are correct, it will affect Fiji in a very damaging way bringing about destructive winds and flooding," he said.

"Fellow Fijians I cannot stress how serious this is, every Fijian will be affected."

Mr Bainimarama urged people to remain calm, look after the elderly and disabled, cancel social events, secure their properties and avoid travel and alcohol until the threat is over.

The country's permanent secretary for information, Sharon Smith-Johns, says many people have fled to higher ground.

"There are people that have already taken precautions, that they know that they live in flood-prone areas and they're moving to higher ground or moving in with relatives.

"There is quite a lot of movement around Suva especially today and around and in the rural areas.

"All we can do is be prepared here - lucky we've had a weeks notice of this all the agencies have been deployed, emergency services on standby, evacuation centres are open, rations have gone out now it's just a matter of continuing to clean up our own backyards and putting cyclone shutters up and waiting."

Ms Smith-Johns says the country is on high alert.

"Fiji is now on high alert we know that the cyclone is moving towards the Fiji group," she said.

"We know that it's going to be upgraded to a category four cyclone with winds gusting probably about 200 kilometres per hour, so we're very much just waiting for the arrival."

'State of disaster'

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Samoa battered by cyclone (ABC News)

The Samoan Government has declared a state of disaster after Evan made landfall on Thursday, causing widespread damage, cutting power, causing flooding and ripping trees out of the ground.

Locals say it is the worst storm to hit the region in recent years.

Muli Pola from Samoa's Meteorology Division says the storm warning remains in effect with concerns it may turn back toward and make landfall on the islands.

Greg Grimsich, from the United Nations, says with damage much worse than expected international aid groups are ready to help if required.

"There's a number of power lines down, roads damaged, we're having a lot of difficulty communicating by mobile phones because the lines are actually quite jammed at the moment," he said.

"We had a large number of people displaced from their homes near the coast and near the river, there were still up to 2000 people in evacuation centres and there was a need for food and water that they're running low on."

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs travel advice said the cyclone had damaged Faleolo International Airport and the Australian High Commission in Apia would be closed until further notice due to storm damage."

Many places in Samoa have only just rebuilt after being devastated by a tsunami in 2009.

Topics: cyclone, storm-disaster, samoa, fiji

First posted