Five families from the Saravi Settlement in Nadi took refuge at the Nadi Muslim Primary School on Monday night as they faced rising floodwaters that inundated their homes. Tevita Bulimaiwai, an advisory member of the settlement, moved his family to the school around 6 PM when floodwaters reached the top floor of their double-storey residence. He expressed the challenges they encountered during the emergency, stating, “We could not save a lot of our things. We did not have enough time to move our things to safety. All we could do was pack one change of clothes and leave.”
Mr. Bulimaiwai recounted a harrowing experience as the water quickly rose, stating that they waded through water that reached their stomachs. Tragically, one of his neighbors living on the ground floor had to swim out of their home as the conditions worsened. “The water came into the house really quickly. It was raining and was high tide, so the water was coming in different directions,” he described.
Despite the danger, many residents were hesitant to evacuate. Bulimaiwai reached out to his fellow villagers to alert them about the evacuation center, but he received no responses as many opted to stay in their homes. He noted that once the weather improves, they plan to return. “Water collects where the settlement is. There is no place for the water to escape, so it settles where we live. It will take a while for the water to go down. When it does, then we will go back home.”
As of Tuesday, about 22 individuals have found temporary shelter at the Nadi Muslim Primary School, highlighting the community’s resilience in the face of flooding. The situation remains a concern for the settlement, but residents are hopeful that conditions will improve soon, allowing them to return to their homes.
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