Sunday, February 21, 2016

Koro Island, Fiji, battered by Tropical Cyclone Winston

Anyone who has read my pre-tribulation fictional novel, Raptured, will recognize Koro Island, Fiji, as the featured setting where the climatic final chapter of the book takes place. Tropical Cyclone Winston, a category five storm, hit Koro Island on February 20th. Wind gusts up to 325km/h pummeled the island, leveling villages, and stripping away trees. It was the strongest storm on record to have hit the island nation of Fiji. Forty-two people are reported to have died. Nine of those were from Koro Island.

I checked photos posted online of the aftermath, and was shocked by the devastation. Much of the beautiful tropical paradise that I observed while doing research for my book has now been stripped away. It looks like whole sections of the forests were crushed, and many buildings appear to be roofless or totally stripped away from their foundations. I imagine that the coconut trees, and crops, the locals rely on for income must be severely damaged.

Fijian Ministry of Agriculture officials, after seeing the devastation firsthand, are considering putting Koro island under quarantine to limit the spread of communicable diseases. Due to contamination, the water supply and crops there are now deemed unfit for consumption. The Public Health Department was mobilized to assist with rehabilitation efforts, with hopes that a quarantine can be avoided.

I encourage readers to donate to the International Federation of Red Cross, which already have a society in Fiji and can quickly spearhead support efforts.

Thank you,
Author Rob Sargeant