Fiji – Thousands Evacuate Tropical Cyclone ‘Sarai’

Two people have died and more than 2,000 evacuated after Tropical Cyclone Sarai brought strong winds and heavy rain to south-east Fiji.

NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite passed over the Southern Pacific Ocean on Dec. 26 and found Tropical Storm Sarai had developed near Fiji. The image showed strong bands of thunderstorms from the western quadrant wrapping into the low-level center of circulation. Credit: NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)

The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) in Fiji reported 1 fatality in Kadavu, while one person drowned in flood waters in Vunidawa in Naitasiri District on Viti Levu, Fiji’s main island.

Fiji Roads Authority said that 1 road was closed in the Northern Division, 21 roads closed in the Western Division and 15 roads closed in the Central Division.

The cyclone did not make landfall but its close proximity to Fiji brought strong winds and heavy rain, with Kadavu and Lau islands thought to be hardest hit. Fiji Meteorological Service reported gusts of around 150 km/h and rainfall of over 120mm in 24 hours in some areas.

As of 30 December the number of people in Evacuation Centres had fallen to under 500. NDMO said it will deploy its response team to the islands of Kadavu and Southern Lau once Sarai had moved away.

Fiji Meteorological Service said that, as of 30 December, Sarai was located about 65km east of Ono-i-Lau or 210 km south-southeast of Kabara. Cyclone Sarai is expected to exit Fiji water by 31 December and move towards Tonga.