Cyclone Winston In Fiji Left 21 Dead, Thousands Of Homes Without Power

Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Winston left a trail of destruction as the most powerful storm on record in the Southern Hemisphere hit the Pacific island nation of Fiji last weekend resulting to 21 people dead, 8,000 homeless, trees uprooted, roofs blown away, severe power outages, and phone lines cut.

"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," said Fiji resident Nazeem Kasim as recalled his nightmarish experience as quoted by CNN.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama told Fijians Sunday of the situation saying that many people had been cut off from essential services like electricity, communications, and even potable water.

"The damage has been widespread, homes have been destroyed, many low-lying areas have flooded, and many people have been left stunned and confused about what to do," the premier said as quoted by Weather.

Military personnel have been already been deployed to facilitate a speedy rescue and recovery effort. After assessing the situation, a huge cleanup and rebuilding operation is underway to get things back to order.

"The death toll from Cyclone Winston continues to rise and reports of widespread damage are coming in from across Fiji. It is clear that Fiji faces a major cleanup and recovery operation," observed New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully according to a report by NBC News.

Also, international aid agencies raised the warning of an impending health crisis due to hunger after crops and stocks were wiped out, crowded evacuation centers, and blocked fresh water supplies.

"Water is becoming an issue and will quickly become one of the top issues because if people don't have access to safe water they can quickly become sick," said Australian Red Cross aid worker Susan Slattery as mentioned in 9News report.