There are growing concerns for New Zealanders on Vanuatu’s Tanna Island which has been cut off from the rest of the country following Tropical Cyclone Judy.
Category 4 Cyclone Judy tore through the Pacific nation on Wednesday, damaging buildings, homes and plantations in its wake.
Assessment and clean-up has been hampered as Vanuatu braced for a new tropical cyclone Kevin on Friday.
Fiji MetService said Kevin has strengthened to a category 2 storm and is set to make landfall late Friday with gale-force winds of up to 165kph.
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And on top of the wild weather, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck northern Vanuatu, just off the Island of Espiritu Santo early Friday.
The US Geological Survey reported the quake hit 81km west-southwest of Port-Olry and occurred 10km below the Earth’s surface.
No tsunami warning was issued.
Laura Thulesen
A resident in the capital Port Vila captured Judy’s wrath as the category 3 storm hits Vanuatu. Video: Supplied/Laura Thulesen.
The Vanuatu government declared a state of emergency on Friday morning as the devastating impact of Judy is assessed.
The storm also damaged telecommunications and cut power across the country.
Domestic and international flights have been cancelled since Wednesday. Schools and businesses remain shut and people have been urged to stay indoors.
A gale alert has been issued for New Caledonia, Fiji and the Solomon Islands while Tonga – its southern islands expected to feel the impact of Kevin on Sunday – keeps a close watch.
Kiwi Glen Craig and his family, hunkered down in Vanuatu’s capital, Port Vila, told Stuff the capital and northern islands bore the brunt of Judy’s wrath.
The chairperson of the Vanuatu Business Resilience Council said the New Zealand community in Vila was safe “but we are extremely concerned about our Kiwis on Tanna.
”We are getting ready for the next cyclone. The winds are picking up now. We are safe, but there is no power where we are an in some parts of Vila. We are saving our batteries for emergencies, so I can’t talk for too long.
”We are extremely concerned because we haven’t been able to get much news from Tanna, which has a big New Zealand community there. It’s more worrying now that Cyclone Kevin is going to hit Tanna and we haven’t heard from anyone there.
“Now we have an earthquake and all communication to the north and south is cut. It’s a bit of a disarray at the moment.”
Another Kiwi in Vila, Zoe Symonds, told Stuff she had not been able to contact family on Tanna and Erramango, also hit by Judy.
Symonds said other Kiwis she had spoken to had expressed their concerns about not being able to reach friends and family on Tanna.
”We have three young children who are overwhelmed by the experience. But we are thankful that we are all safe. There’s been minor damage to our home.
“It has been a very stressful week with two cyclones, and now we have been hit by an earthquake. Vanuatu has been through many cyclones, but this is a lot worse,” the Hawke’s Bay native said.
Kayla Joachime/Supplied
Tropical Cyclone Judy has caused widespread damage across Vanuatu’s northern islands including the capital Port Vila.
Both cyclones are unlikely to have significant impacts on Aotearoa but New Zealand meteorologists are keeping a close eye on them.
The MetService said Judy and Kevin were expected to remain north of New Zealand.
There have been no reports of casualties and Vanuatu authorities are assessing the damage, particularly in the capital and northern islands.
Fiji MetService said Kevin would intensify to a category 3 storm over the weekend and “we expect a lot of rain, severe flooding for flood-prone areas, as well as waves of 4m to 8m”.
While the extent of the damage was still being assessed, New Zealand stands ready to assist the people of Vanuatu.
While it was not clear whether the Government has been in touch with Kiwis on Tanna, it would respond to any requests for assistance from the Vanuatu authorities.
There are 64 Kiwis registered in Vanuatu and efforts are being made to ensure their safety, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement.
MfAT is monitoring the situation in Vanuatu closely and “there have been no requests for consular assistance at this stage.
“There are currently 64 New Zealanders registered on Safe Travel as being in Vanuatu. New Zealanders requiring consular assistance can call the emergency after-hours line on +64 99 20 20 20,” a spokesperson said.
“All New Zealanders in Vanuatu are advised to follow the advice of local authorities, and register their details on www.safetravel.govt.nz.
“We are providing further advice and information about Tropical Cyclone Judy on the Safe Travel website.”
The high commission will remain closed for the rest of the week due to the incoming cyclone Kevin, MFAT said.
In March 2015, Vanuatu suffered one of its worst climate disasters when the category 5 cyclone Pam hit the country, leaving more than 20 people dead, thousands homeless and damage costs in excess of NZ$1 billion.
