WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (AP) – Residents of Vanuatu were hunkering down yesterday as a cyclone barrelled through the Pacific island nation.
Authorities said there were power outages in some areas and many fallen trees and branches, but it was too early to assess the extent of the damage with Cyclone Judy still raging. They said there were no initial reports of major destruction or deaths.
Some people had moved to evacuation sites as heavy rainfall flooded their homes. Others were barricading themselves inside as authorities issued a red alert in the capital, Port Vila, and some other regions – meaning people shouldn’t leave their homes unless absolutely necessary. The cyclone forced businesses and schools to close, and airlines to cancel flights.
Vanuatu’s National Disaster Management Office spokesperson Brenda Williams said Cyclone Judy was packing destructive winds of around 150 kilometres per hour (kph) with gusts of up to 200 kph.
Williams said the calmer eye of the tropical cyclone passed over the capital yesterday and they were starting to experience strong winds again as the tail moved through.
She said the centre and southern islands were in line to be hit and they were still waiting on damage reports from many places.
