Damage

More Territories Hit

By A Hurricane

Damage Serious On Niue

Niue Island, which of recent

years has had few hurricanes, ex perienced the full effect of one on

February 26-27, and a great deal

of damage was done to the small

isolated island, and particularly

to its chief town and shipping

port, Alofi.

r[E hurricane formed near the Manua Group of Eastern Samoa and moved south, winds of up to 120 miles per hour being ex perienced at Niue. Damage included the following: About 180 of the estimated 770 native houses on the island were demolished.

All coconut palms were stripped of nuts. It will be at least six months before any copra can be produced.

Heavy damage was done to banana plantations, breadfruit, taro, manioc.

All but two of the village fresh water catchments were put out of action.

Considerable damage estimated at £30,000 to £3s,ooo—was done to administration buildings and schools.

The main centre of Alofi felt the full brunt of the hurricane, the modern administration building be ing damaged beyond repair. Other buildings damaged included the hos pital and nurses home there, also the sister’s quarters.

Three LMS village churches were demolished and most other churches unroofed.

Because the Meteorological Service had issued due warning from Nadi of the hurricane’s approach no lives were lost, but a few people suf fered injuries.

Schools were closed for a week so that all could assist in cleaning up the damage and in foraging for food, which is likely later to be very scarce. It is anticipated that the NZ Government will have to take emergency supplies to the island and possibly provide other assistance to the 4,700 islanders in the way of rehabilitation.

Could Be More Trouble

This is the first severe hurricane to strike Niue for a good many years, but this area generally, in cluding the Cooks, has be en singularly free from hurricane dam

age in post-war years. A hurricane every second or third year was the rule rather than the exception in the Southern Cooks in the 1930’5.

Early in March the South Pacific weather chart was showing a threatening low pressure area east of the Solomons, in the area where the recent hurricane which caused damage in New Caledonia and Queensland formed.

A hurricane in that area is just as likely to move south-eastward onto Fiji.

Manua Islands Also Hit

Very severe damage was also re ported from the Manua Group of Eastern Samoa, north of which the hurricane formed before moving south.

Every house was reported demolished in the three main villages, and great damage was done to all food crops including coco nut palms. Food supplies were to be sent from Pago Pago. These islands have a population of about 3,000.

The banana plantations were almost completely destroyed, and coconut plantations were so seri ously hit that it is reported there will be no copra production for the next year.

Governor Peter Coleman, of American Samoa, declared Manua a disaster area and an emergency re lief committee was set up to con trol food supplies.

The West Samoan High Com missioner, Mr. G. R. Powles, sent messages of sympathy and offered to help relieve the stress in any way possible.

A report from Tahiti in February revealed that that territory had also been involved in the series of January hurricanes and storms that caused widespread damage in the Cooks, Fiji, New Caledonia and the British Solomons. (PIM, February) .

Tahiti Tidal Wave

Tahiti was hit between January 27-29, and besides the wind there was a tidal wave. There was seri ous flooding in many places, especi ally Papeete, where streets skirting the foreshore were awash, and wharves damaged.

Hundreds of people were forced to leave their homes. In some places, vanilla crops were destroyed.

The Swedish luxury cruiser Kungsholm reached Papeete at the height of the blow and spent two days waiting in the lee of the island foj the weather to clear long enough for her to enter the harbour.

On the third day, Captain Per- Eric Sjolin decided to make an at tempt anyway, only to have the harbour promptly closed to all craft because of the serious risks.

Kungsholm went on to Pago Pago without seeing Papeete, much to the dismay of the American tourists aboard.