The storm slammed into Fiji Saturday and Sunday, bringing winds gusts of 200 mph. It destroyed at least 150 of homes and forced scores of evacuations.
Fijian men clear a road of a fallen tree in Fiji's capital Suva Sunday.
Handout . / Reuters
Tropical cyclone Winston brought wind gusts of 200 mph winds to Fiji, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), making it one of strongest storms to hit the South Pacific.
"The cyclone was so strong that it destroyed weather data loggers in many affected areas," OHCA said in a statement.
The storm knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of people, destroyed at least 150 homes, and wreaked devastation on crops.
The government declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew.
"My house is fine but our neighbors suffered the full force of the storm because their homes weren't strong," Naziah Ali, a resident from Ba in western Fiji, told the Red Cross. "Last night three families in my neighborhood had to seek refuge at my house. This morning when it was calm, we went to see their homes, some of which were completely smashed on the ground by the gale force winds."
"It was such a sad morning to see people I have known all my life, lose everything overnight. It will take a huge effort for them to rebuild and start life all over again."
SOURCE: BuzzFeed
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