Solomons Cyclone

Trail Of Wreckage From

An 80 miles per hour cyclone, one of the worst to hit the area for many years, did widespread damage in the Central Solomons at the end of March

VVfORST damage was in the ” Honiara area, where seafront gardens were destroyed, the fishing village of Kukum was flattened, buildings of the Marine Training School washed away, and wharves damaged, including Honiara’s main one at Point Cruz.

In late April estimates were still being made of the total damage, particularly to coconuts, as reports continued to come in from outer islands.

The cyclone ripped across Guadal canal and went on to T»an Cristoval.

Malaita, which was badly damaged in a cyclone last year, seemed to miss the worst of this one.

Henderson, Honiara’s international airport, was flooded with water just up to the engine nacelles of the parked Megapode Airway’s aircraft!

A TAA Fokker Friendship from Aus tralia had to land at nearby Kukum, and Herons from Fiji Airways also were diverted.

Henderson damaged

When the floodwaters had sub sided it was found that there was an eroded patch across the middle of the Henderson runway, exposing coral pinnacles.

Just before the cyclone struck, the Dart bank moored alongside the Point Cruz wharf, got her engines going, and cut her mooring hawsers with axes and cleared out to sea, to ride out the worst of it.

Typical of the general picture was this report from a Honiara corres pondent: “The waves swept across the coast road at Rove and at Kukum, eroding it and leaving great logs lying about. Soil and vegetation were ripped from foreshores and swaths of broken, stinking coral were deposited.

Power lines and telephone lines were down everyhere. Trees were up rooted and those still standing were left bare of leaves.

“At nightfall in Honiara, people were searching for candles or hurri cane lamps to light their way to a meal of sandwiches. The morning

light revealed a botanically flatten town.”

The house of Mr. Dick Johnsc of the Colonial Developrm Corporation, seems to be a write-c Mr, and Mrs. Johnson lost many their personal belongings. Peoi rallied around and saved what th could.

Mr. G. F. C. Dennis, of Honiai said two days afterwards: “Honia now represents a scene of desolati in the bright sunshine, with t coastline changed by sea erosii and storm debris everywhere”.

Three days after the hurrica struck Honiara was humming wi the sound of power saws cutting t blown down trees into moveat pieces. People were back in the seafront houses cleaning up, and tl smell of dead crabs and other si creatures made conditions diffici for the housewife—apart from clea ing up what was left of the gardens.

The grounds of Governme; House, on the waterfront, were lake during the hurricane and san filled petrol drums on the sea wa gradually drifted out to sea as tl cyclone grew in intensity. The Hi£ Commissioner and his househol moved out, to leave Governmei House to its fate. But the old hou: withstood the cyclone, although tl gardens are a shambles. 9 The fury of the big seas whippe up by the cyclone can be see

in the top picture oppositi

taken at Kukum fishing villag near Honiara. The seas swef away the village. Below, th scene the morning after, a small craft cling together fo shelter at Point Cruz. The cutte "Marata", centre of picture, ha sunk and a wharf has collapsec Photos: Ted Marriott.