Cyclone Winston Flashcards
When did it hit Fiji
20th February 2016 at category 5
When were warnings for Fiji issued
14-15th February but stopped on 16th
What happened on the 17th February
Stopped heading east and turned west, back towards Fiji. It also gained windspeed reaching category 5
Why were warnings resumed
Warnings resumed on 18th after Winston doubled back towards Fiji
What was Winston’s sudden turn caused by
A high-pressure system, centred over New Zealand as well as strong easterly winds - classic easterly dip
How fast was it
185mph category 5 with 10 minute sustained winds of 170mph.
What records did it break
The strongest tropical cyclones to hit landfall in the southern hemisphere since 1970 when reliable records began.
The costliest tropical cyclone on record in the South Pacific basin
What date did it hit peak intensity
20th February
How many people died
44 died, 126 injured
How much damage was there ($)
1.4 billion dollars
How many people were affected
350,000 - 40% of population
how many people needed water, sanitation and hygiene
250,000 people needed it due to power outages and damaged infrastructure
how many homes were damaged on Koro island
788 homes destroyed and 234 damaged
how many homes were damaged or destroyed overall
40,000
how many people were left homeless in Fiji
130,000
how many people were in evac centres by 1st March
62,000 people
how long were schools closed for
1-2 weeks
how long were airports closed for
2 days then opened to receive aid and to let tourists out
what happened with mosquitos
they had increased breeding ground which increased cases of dengue fever
how many shelters were opened by 19th
700 shelters opened
Who were put on standby
military forces put on standby for relief efforts
what happened between 20th Feb - 20th April
A state of emergency was declared
Which countries gave aid
Australia, New Zealand and France gave large scale relief efforts within a few days but over the next few weeks, tens of millions dollars in aid and hundreds of tons of supplies arrived.
How much of nation lost power
80% (900,000 people)
What did empower pacific provide
Gave 7,000 people psychological support and counselling
What did NGOs do
Many provided aid or plans to help Fiji recover
