Category-five storm hit Fiji, which has led to two deaths. Hundreds of buildings were destroyed, as was reported by The Guardian.
The category-five Cyclone Yasa tore through Fiji’s second-largest island Vanua Levu on Thursday night. The cyclone destroyed hundreds of buildings and caused hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of damage.
“By Friday, the full extent of the damage was yet to be revealed as many parts of the affected island remained without communications and were cut off by floodwaters. There remained fears that a coming high tide would bring storm surges and further inundation of coastal areas," the publication stated.
At least two people died, but the rescue crews did not reach the cut-off villages yet, therefore, this number is likely to increase. Prime minister Frank Bainimarama confirmed a three-month-old baby had been killed by the cyclone. And a 45-year-old man died when the home he was sheltering in in Labasa collapsed on him, Fiji’s state broadcaster reported.
The government estimated hundreds of millions of dollars in damage and predict another danger for some communities. According to Bainimarama, it is expected that the storm wind will raise the waves and flood the coastal areas. 850,000 people, approximately 95% of Fiji’s population are estimated to be directly affected by the cyclone according to preliminary data. Nearly 24 thousand people sought shelter in 457 evacuation centers overnight Thursday into Friday morning, with thousands more sheltering in caves and church halls said the national disaster management office.
“Ahead of the storm, the government declared a nationwide state of emergency declaration and imposed a curfew, with the entire country ordered inside for 14 hours overnight on Thursday," the publication said.
The cyclone was another blow to the economy of the country, which is already destroyed by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fiji’s economy is largely dependent on tourism, therefore Covid-19 movement restrictions led to the economy shrunk by more than 20% this year. The pandemic also caused the loss of tens of thousands of jobs. Furthermore, Fiji’s response to Yasa will be further complicated by the global Covid-19 pandemic. Fiji has 11 active Covid-19 cases in border quarantine.