The International Federation of the Red Cross said on Sunday that five people were killed in Fiji when Tropical Cyclone Winston struck the island nation.The storm was the most powerful on record in the Southern Hemisphere. The country’s Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development along with the National Disaster Management team said Fiji will close all its schools for one week as a result of the damage. Authorities believe the brunt of Tropical Cyclone Winston, which struck Saturday night, has passed. Now comes the arduous task of assessing and cleaning up the damage inflicted by the storm. Head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Regional Office for the Pacific, Sune Gudnitz, said at least one person was killed.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center reported winds that reached 296 kilometers per hour (184 mph) lashed the tiny island nation in the Pacific, felling trees, knocking out power and causing heavy flooding. Fiji resident Nazeem Kasim told CNN, “Winston was a monster of a cyclone. I have not experienced anything like this before in my life, nor has my 60-year-old father.” According to the Fiji Times, Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama declared a state of emergency that will be in effect for 30 days. CNN meteorologist Michael Guy said Winston is expected to “keep strength as it continues on its path in open waters,” but said “it will weaken Tuesday or Wednesday once it hits cooler waters and stronger shear.”