Final Exam Part 2

Hard News Story

Early yesterday morning, a cyclone was detected by meteorologists from the Nadi Weather Centre and said to be heading toward the Solomon Islands. 

"The storm had sustained winds of 140 kph and was classified as a Level 4 Cyclone," Nadi Weather Center Director James Jones said. "It was a fast developing front that we could not have anticipated any faster."

An hour after the discovery of the storm, Nadi Weather Centre got in contact with the Solomon Islands government, warning them of the cyclone. 

"We warned all the proper authorities," Jones said.

Later that morning, winds in Honiara were blowing at more than 140 kilometres per hour, and by midday, the center of Victor, the cyclone, passed over Honiara before dying out in the Coral Sea.

"It was pretty chaotic for a few hours there when the storm hit the community," Police Chief Marianna Adams said. "It could have been worse but the emergency shelters established three years ago after Hurricane Kilo gave our people a place to hide.

More than 20 houses were destroyed in Honiara, leaving over 100 people homeless. Several buildings were damaged, six people have been reported dead, and 18 people are being treated for minor injuries in the local hospital.

"We are devastated that our son, Frank, was killed," mother of a man killed, Lisa Ramos said. "He was returning home from a vacation to Australia when the storm hit."

Police say that 3 out of the 6 people who died drowned after their cars were blown into a river, while the remaining 3 people were killed by flying debris.

"We have heavy hearts over the six people who lost their lives today," Adams said. "I want to commend all of our local emergency workers for their efforts."

People in Honiara have already began cleaning up their community and helping out. Emergency services believe Honiara was affected most by this tragedy. 

"The church is open to anyone who has lost their home and need a place to stay," Local pastor Harold Young said. "We will hold prayer services each night at 6 p.m. until we have everyone back in a stable home."