Worst affected - Rabi damage seen from air and people trying to repair houses and church

[Stacey King]

Friday, March 19, 2010

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Children of Wainigadru, in Tawake, Cakaudrove stand outside what's left of their house

THE eastern part of Vanua Levu is by far the worst hit by Hurricane Tomas.

A flight over the area on Wednesday found a trail of destruction evident from 1500 to 3000 metres above the ground.

Tomas' path was littered with debris and a trail of destroyed homes, schools, kitchens and toilets.

Broken trees were evident in every village. The remaining vegetation was bare or brown.

From the Britten Norman Islander aircraft, villagers in Cikobia, Nukudamu and Vunikodi in Udu, Taveuni, Qamea and Rabi could be seen cleaning up and rebuilding damaged homes.

They stopped to wave as the plane passed overhead.

Clothes, mats and other household belongings were spread on village rara to dry in the sun.

The south of Taveuni had also taken a beating with homes badly damaged or destroyed. Coconut trees and dalo plantations had been uprooted and flattened.

Similar damage was visible on Qamea Island.

On Cikobia, other than destruction to vegetation, at least one of the three villages had four out of 10 homes destroyed including a building that is believed to be a school.

A second village showed no damage at all.

Homes in the third village by the coastline were still standing although kitchens, toilets and older-looking structures were destroyed.

In Nukudamu and Vunikodi, there were a few homes partly damaged, mostly its roofs blown away by strong winds, while villages in Namuka, Macuata sighted less damage apart from destruction to its vegetation.

Rabi had a number of damaged homes and a church with village men doing repairs.

Villas on Laucala Island, the site of the seven-star resort, showed damage to thatched roofs.

A few villages in Koro in Lomaiviti suffered destruction of vegetation and structural damage.