A freak wind destroyed 11 houses and a church, forcing about 20 people to seek refuge in a community hall in Rakiraki, reported The Fiji Times on September 13, 1990.
Six people, including a two-year-old boy from Naivuvuni Village, sustained minor injuries from flying roofing iron but were discharged after treatment at Rakiraki Hospital.
Selai Ratumatua, a villager, told The Fiji Times the whirlwind struck at around 8:20 am and lasted for about half an hour. “The whirlwind began from the seaside and travelled upwards damaging houses in its path,” she said.
A Public Works Department van traveling towards the town was caught in the whirlwind and spun for four minutes before crashing into a tree.
Navatu farmer Awadh Ram noted that the van driver and a Vaqara PWD foreman suffered minor injuries and were treated at the hospital.
Several houses had their roofs blown off, and a church more than 11 years old was demolished, leaving only the concrete foundation intact. Three other houses within 50 meters of the church also lost their roofs.
An old wooden shop owned by Ram Sharan had its roof torn off during the 30-minute storm.
Ratumatua mentioned that men from the village were either fishing or harvesting cane when the whirlwind hit. Women and children were preparing breakfast, cooking, or washing when the storm began.
Village elder Sailasa Naisekene, 63, remarked it was his first experience with such a wind. “There was thunder and lightning, followed by rain. The whirlwind started from one side and moved straight upwards. It sounded like an airplane with thunderous noise. Branches broke and flew, coconut palms were uprooted, and root crops were heavily damaged.”
He considered it fortunate that the whirlwind struck during the day, as nighttime could have caused more serious injuries. “It’s also good the whirlwind kept moving; otherwise, it would have caused extensive damage to the village.”
Naisekene added that women were trapped under collapsed roofs and walls, with some waiting for rescue. Many lost their belongings, including beds, clothing, food, bed sheets, wardrobes, and kitchen utensils.
Six families sought shelter at the village community hall, where relatives provided food.
Rakiraki district officer Sakenasa Varea inspected the damage and stated that a detailed survey would be conducted. A spokesman from his office mentioned that no plan had been made yet to provide food rations to the villagers, but a decision would be made after the survey.
Dr. Reuben Villarroya, sub-divisional medical officer Rakiraki, treated six patients with minor injuries who were sent home after treatment.
Acting director of meteorology Rajendra Prasad said whirlwinds were not uncommon but hard to detect. They are similar to cyclones but smaller, occurring in bad weather and low pressure.
In the aftermath, it rained all day in Rakiraki and some parts of Tavua saw rainwater reach flood levels. A weather office report indicated that a slow-moving cloud system due to low pressure was causing the rain, which was expected to continue.