Tropical Cyclone Tomas slams Fiji

[DandyDon]

From Tropical Cyclone Tomas slams Fiji - CNN.com

(CNN) -- Tropical Cyclone Tomas battered Fiji's northern islands on Monday evening with gusts of up to 275 km/h (170 mph) and heavy rain, but weather officials had not received immediate reports of damage.
The Category 4 storm is the second-most destructive on a five-point scale. As it heads southeast, it is expected to sideswipe the main island, Viti Levu. The South Pacific nation's capital, Suva, is on that island.
"The closest it will come is 200 km (124 miles) to the east of Suva," said Alipate Waqaicelua, forecaster for the Nadi Tropical Cyclone Center.
Still, the storm inundated the capital with heavy rain and strong winds. Authorities imposed a nighttime curfew. Schools have been ordered closed till Thursday, and banks were shuttered till Tuesday, said resident Moses Waqavonovono.
"Squatter houses have been blown away in the gusting winds," he said. "The stronger structures will take a hard hitting tomorrow."

It's currently 7:21am Tuesday (FJST) - Time in Fiji

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[adpfam]

Anbody heard any info from beqa island

 

[DandyDon]

Anbody heard any info from beqa island

A news story from 10am Tuesday (it's 3:47pm Wednesday now there) included this warning...

FOR CIKOBIA, TAVEUNI, VANUA LEVU, RABI, KIOA, QAMEA, LAUCALA, NAITAUBA, YACATA, EASTERN HALF OF VITI LEVU, BEQA, KADAVU, REST OF THE LOMAIVITI GROUPS AND NEARBY ISLANDS:

* WINDS INCREASING TO DAMAGING GALE FORCE WITH AVERAGE SPEEDS UP TO 75 KM/HR AND MOMENTARY GUSTS TO 110 KM/HR.
* PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND SQUALLY THUNDERSTORMS.
* VERY ROUGH TO HIGH SEAS. DAMAGING HEAVY SWELLS.
* FLOODING INCLUDING SEA FLOODING OF LOW-LYING COASTAL AREAS EXPECTED.

At least it did not take the full hit...

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This news story is grim The Associated Press: Fiji cyclone damage overwhelming, leader says but Beqa is not mentioned.

 

[adpfam]

im there in the upcoming future how long to think it will take be fore the water tubidity lesssens

 

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im hoping the island was sheltered by the main island

 

[DandyDon]

im there in the upcoming future how long to think it will take be fore the water tubidity lesssens

That would depend on how much run off there was on the reefs, the currents, etc - but not too long I don't think. I take it you're not leaving this week. I have friends scheduled to visit other islands this weekend, watching this closely of course. You might want to set up a Google Alert for the island by name and received an email every morning with links to news stories.

im hoping the island was sheltered by the main island

It looks like the storm veered away from it enough to be much easier than a eye-wall hit. How the local infrastructure may have fared I don't know but the island is not mentioned in the article linked.

 

[adpfam]

no that soon , but soon enough i hope the reefs are not covered in sand . my experience it stays for years . i also understand it rains every day i guess im just going to have to wait have your friends post a report we are inside of three weeks