Samuela Naqari faced an agonizing choice during Tropical Cyclone Winston, which wreaked havoc in Nayavutoka Village, Ra, where he lived with his family. The cyclone’s powerful winds had already stripped roofs from homes and sent waves crashing towards the land by the time he realized he had to act.
Recalling the events, Naqari shared, “By 6pm, our roof was gone. We decided to move my mother and the children to the room and put them under the beds.” As the storm intensified, Naqari and his family made a plan to protect his frail 98-year-old mother. “I wanted to bring her with us, but she was too frail. So, we covered her with a mattress and our mats.”
With urgency, he took one granddaughter while his wife took another, and they fled to a cousin’s house situated on higher ground. Outside, the brutal storm presented unimaginable terror. “I hid behind a tree with my granddaughter who was only in her diaper. The rain was so heavy I could not see my own hand. I did not even know my son was just a few metres from me hiding behind a tree too.”
The aftermath of the cyclone revealed the full extent of loss. “The huge waves brought in by TC Winston took away the remaining parts of my home and my mother with it. She drowned. The waves came in with trees and soil and pieces of houses. It all covered the place we had kept her.”
In the hours that followed, while still wearing wet clothes, Naqari and other villagers gathered to lay his mother to rest. “We could not call for help or move her to a hospital. We wrapped her in a mat and buried her,” he lamented.
Even ten years later, Naqari feels the weight of impact from that fateful night: “It is still difficult for us to think about. It was a time when we all thought, ‘it is our time to go.’”
Naqari’s story highlights not only the personal tragedy of those affected by natural disasters but also the resilience of communities who support one another in their darkest times. Despite the loss, the memories shared can foster healing and remind us of the importance of preparedness in the face of nature’s unpredictable wrath. Moreover, it emphasizes the need for ongoing support and resources for vulnerable communities to better withstand such calamities in the future.
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