When Tropical Cyclone Winston struck the small village of Nasau on Koro Island on February 20, 2016, its impact was devastating, leaving behind not just destruction but also profound sorrow. The storm, classified as a Category 5, drastically altered the lives of the village’s residents, resulting in the loss of 14 lives and an irreplaceable void for many families.
Amenatave Kaitani, now 49, recalls that fateful day with a heavy heart. “It’s not an easy day to remember,” he reflects, expressing the trauma and heartache that still haunt him a decade later. Before the cyclone, Nasau was a vibrant community with approximately 100 houses and fertile farms. Children played freely, while elders enjoyed the shade of breadfruit trees. By the next morning, nearly all households were in ruins—the cyclone had claimed 90 of them, leaving only 10 standing.
The destructive power of the storm was immense, as winds of terrifying speeds ripped roofs away and collapsed walls. Crops, such as cassava, dalo, and bananas, were decimated in a single night, wiping away the livelihoods of families who had tended to them for generations. In the chaos that followed, families searched through the wreckage for missing loved ones while the rain continued to pour and trees crashed around them.
Tragically, the storm did not just take structures; it claimed lives. Among the victims were people of all ages, from a one-year-old child to a 70-year-old elder. Most fatalities resulted from catastrophic injuries inflicted by flying debris or drowning caused by tidal surges during the storm. Two of the most heart-wrenching cases involved Etonia Rayaqona and Malakai Waqa, who were airlifted to Suva’s Colonial War Memorial Hospital, but ultimately did not survive.
The names of the lost have become etched in the community’s memory: Luke Lebaivalu, six-year-old Inise Toganiyasawa, Lenaitasi Guicake, Iva Mataiwai, Pauliasi Kuvukibulu, Ilaitia Ratusela, Mesulame Vuwai, three-year-old Karalaini Kolosa, and Diana Ratusela are forever remembered as part of Nasau’s painful history.
In the aftermath, the village was stripped bare, and the journey to rebuild was long and challenging. “Most of our houses and farms were destroyed,” Mr. Kaitani notes, emphasizing the difficulty of starting over. For many villagers, reconstruction was not immediate; it took years of saving, borrowing tools, and relying on communal support. Mr. Kaitani himself waited five years before he could rebuild his home.
While the physical structures have risen again, the emotional scars remain. Today, Nasau stands as a testament to resilience—a village rebuilt and transformed, yet forever marked by the memories of that horrific day. “Victims of Cyclone Winston from our village are gone but not forgotten,” Mr. Kaitani reminds us, highlighting the enduring legacy of their courage and the community’s collective memory of survival and loss.
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