Plantation Damage

The Hebrides, Too, Had A

Hurricane

RC’s Report Shows Great Loss of Life, Plantation Damage

A SUVA cynic has said that the most important aspect of the January 28 hurricane was that it happened in Suva and therefore merited a lot more attention than previous hurricanes that had merely devastated the Lau Islands and other parts of the Colony.

Suva’s hurricane stole, also, the thunder of the New Hebrides hur ricane which occurred about a month previously (Christmas Eve) and, in loss of life, was a much greater dis aster. Eight Europeans, one Asiatic and 105 natives lost their lives in the Hebrides hurricane. About 4,000 were rendered homeless.

In the Fiji hurricane, one Asiatic and 30 Fijians were killed.

Because the Hebrides Group is very much nobody’s child, there were no offers of outside help, no grants or gifts from neighbour governments, no bundles of clothes.

In short —no publicity.

The British Resident Commissioner

for the New Hebrides, who visited

the devastated areas soon after the

disaster, recently made a report to

the WPHC, and a summary of this

report follows:

The full violence of the storm was felt on a 50-mile belt that embraced the northern part of Epi, South Malekula, S-W Ambrym and the islands of Paama and Lepevi. The greatest damage was caused by valleys, streams and gullies which have their outlet to the sea, being blocked by fallen trees. Storm water backed up, then carried the barriers away, together with debris, flood waters and heavy sludge which engulfed build ings and gardens, and even, it is believed, overwhelmed and destroyed without a trace two ketches anchored in Revlieu Bay.

The storm destroyed the means of radio communication and all ships in the area were damaged, sunk or driven ashore. It was not until December 27 that word of the disaster reached Vila. No large craft were available, but the launch My Na was

loaded with food and medicines and left for Ma!eku!a; by New Year a number of small craft had joined in the work of relief; a Catalina of the RNZAF delivered 4,000 lbs. of food and searched for a missing French ketch; and MV Altair, of 208 tons, left Vila with foodstuffs and building materials.

The French Resident Commissioner and the British Resident Commissioner left Vila in a French boat on January 6 and

toured the devastated area. They found wholesale destruction of villages and Euro pean missions and plantations; and that 4< of the 400 people who had recently been evacuated from the volcanic activity on Ambrym to Big Bay, Epi, had been buried alive in a landslide at the site of their temporary homes. The Presbyterian mission house on Paama had only three walls standing; the Catholic Mission at Craig Cove, Ambrym, was in similar

plight.. Damage to mission and plan tation buildings was estimated at £50,000.

Native houses disappeared almost entirely, but are easily rebuilt.

Losses of small craft were serious—two French-owned ketches, and a Tonkinese owned launch disappeared without trace, A British-owned sampan and six launches were wrecked on reefs or rocks; a number of other small craft were damaged but are repairable. A small ship, the Air Wave, was stranded at Craig Cove and has been accepted as a total loss.

At least 15,000 coconut trees on Epi and Malekula plantations were destroyed; in addition, an agricultural officer, says that the fate of 30 per cent, of the re mainder is uncertain until it is seen whether shoots have been irretrievably damaged.

Some cocoa plantations suffered severely —at Ringdove Bay, Epi. six acres of flourishing trees were completely des troyed. Native gardens in some localities were completely wiped out.

Loss of copra on Epi and Malekula is estimated at 5,000 tons and it will take three years for many of the surviving trees to bear more nuts. Total damage to trees is estimated at between £BO,OOO and £lOO,OOO.

Relief supplies were contributed by the Administration, Red Cross, Missions, traders and private individuals, and ap pear to have been adequate; no serious food shortage is anticipated.

The majority of the native population did not lack cash and local stores were in a position to meet their needs. There was a strong demand for labour—collec

tion and production of copra from the fallen nuts providing work for all—and in many families there was a bread winner at work in Vila or Santo.