Marists in the District of the Pacific report that they are safe, following the category-five cyclone that hit Fiji last weekend.
District of the Pacific Provincial Brother David McDonald says that Marists have been largely unaffected because the cyclone did not reach Suva.
Brother Afaese Afaese reports that the storm hit the central part of the island of Vitilevu, at about 6pm on Saturday evening and developed into very strong winds before midnight.
About 100 people from Galoa village and the low-lying mission arrived at the Marists’ Lomeri property and were accommodated in single rooms and the recreation room. Residents affected by the storm have now returned to their homes.
The following morning, the Brothers found only a few trees had fallen, but branches, bananas and other food crops were everywhere. There was no damage to the building, but it is still without power.
Some parts of the island nation, however, experienced wind speeds of more than 320 kilometres an hour, torrential rain and waves up to 12 metres.
Thousands of Fijians are now without homes and many people are being sheltered at the Champagnat Institute and Saint Marcellin Primary in Suva—two of our Australian Marist Solidarity project partners.
29 people have so far lost their lives and there are concerns about water contamination and the outbreak of diseases.
The Fijian government has declared a 30-day state of emergency.