Posted by Donna Burns on October 5, 2009 at 9:12pm
The epicenter of the latest earthquake that shook the pacific was 150 miles from Samoa, and 150 miles from a small, low island of the Tongan island chain called Niuatoputapu. In typical American style...the press only reported that Samoa was hurt...American Samoa that is. Not nearly as populated as Samoa, it was nonetheless hit the same, and as there are NO mountains or hills on Niuatoputapu, there really was nowhere to run to higher ground.If you would like to send $10 or so to the relief fund, please send to this link: http://www.minfo.gov.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=960:niuatoputapu-tsunami-relief-fund&catid=234:state-of-emergency&Itemid=933 or go to: the official Kingdom of Tonga Government Website and search for the relief information.Yes, it was only 9 who died there, but if one of them had been your ohana...it would surely be felt.aloha no,Donna--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Tsunami waves wreck Niuatoputapu01 Oct 2009, 03:36Nuku'alofa, Tonga:By Pesi FonuaNiuatoputapuTHE island of Niuatoputapu in northern Tonga was severely damaged by tsunami waves early yesterday morning, September 30.The waves were generated by an 8.3 magnitude earthquake which occurred between Niuatoputapu and Samoa.To assess the impact of the tsunami waves on Niuatoputapu a government charted flight, with members of the government's Disaster Committee, police officers, soldiers from the Tonga Defence Services, a representative from the Ministry of Information and myself, a journalist flew over the island yesterday afternoon.From the air two of the three villages on the island, Hihifo and Falehau appeared to have been flushed out by the waves, and trees and houses were either pushed over or have been moved toward the sea or were sitting in odd places, such as the middle of the roads. On the other hand, the village of Vaipoa was sitting high and dry.'Eleni 'Aho the CEO for the Ministry of Transport who was on the charter flight confirmed that 10 people were reported dead. She said that her last communication with the island through the airport tower just before boarding the charter flight, that ten were confirmed dead. They were trying to escape on a vehicle to higher ground when they were struck by a wave which overturned the vehicle and they were trapped in the vehicle. She said that six were found dead four were still missing.The tsunami disabled the island's telephone communication facility and washed away its health center. The Tongan Development Bank branch on the island and government buildings were also wrecked. The only airport runway on the island was also damaged, making it impossible for an aircraft to land and help the 1029 inhabitants on the island.Tonga's 2006 census reported that there were 211 households on the island with a total population of 1029, 526 males and 493 females.After circling around the island a number of times, taking photographs and have a through observation of the situation on the ground we then headed back to Tongatapu. The CEO for the Ministry of Work Sione Taumoepeau who was on board said that three of the urgent task to be carried out by a team which will be dispatched on one of the patrol boats of the Tonga Defence Services are to fix the runway, establish a health centre and to provide food and drinking water for the people on the islands.It took just over three hours for our trip to Niuatoputapu and back, and once back in Nuku�alofa the TDS patrol boat was dispatched for Niuatoputapu.-----------------------a few days laterPM Office releases names of tsunami victims Email this articlePrinter friendly page04 Oct 2009, 16:35Nuku'alofa, Tonga:THE names of the nine people who died from the Tsunami that struck Niuatoputapu on Wednesday morning, September 30 was released by the Prime Minister's Office last night.The nine deaths are:1. Losalio Lefai2. Sefo Lefai3. Toni Lefai (child)4. Tina Lefai (infant)5. Kalolo Kivalu6. Lesina Tupouto'a7. Tu'ulomia Tavake8. Heneli Losalu9. Lupe PukengaThe fact that the tsunami disaster has further isolated Niuatoputapu from the rest of the world has made it difficult to assist the needy people of Niuatoputapu.There has been no ferry service to Niuatoputapu since the sinking of the MV Princess Ashika on August 5, and the tsunami disabled the Tonga Communication Corporation TCC communication facility on the island, and damaged runway.The first flight to land at Niuatoputapu was on Thursday morning, October 1more than 24 hours after the tsunami had struck.The patrol boat of the Tonga Defence Services also arrived at Niua on Thursday evening, and at last a range of assistances were available for the needy people of Niuatoputapu.The report of a survey that was carried out by staff of the Ministry of Works on the state of housing on the three villages on Niuatoputapu, on Friday, October 2 showed that 194 families lost their homes.The worst hit was the main village of Hihifo, where most government buildings are located, including a Royal Resident, a Health Center, a Police outpost, a branch of the Tonga Development Bank, and the Tonga Communication Corporation communication facility.At Hihifo, 132 families lost their houses and were homeless, 109 families have damaged houses, and 75 families have undamaged houses.At Falehau Village, where the Pasivulangi wharf is located, 32 families were homeless, 28 have damaged houses, and 37 have undamaged houses.Vaipoa Village has 30 homeless families, 6 families with damaged houses, and 177 with undamaged houses.Meanwhile assistance to the island are on their way. The French navy ship FNS Revi is scheduled to arrive on Monday 5 October with assistance from Australia, New Zealand, and France which arrived in Tongatapu yesterday afternoon.The Prime Minister's Office stated on a media report on yesterday evening, October 3 that the Tongan patrol boat VOEA Savea was scheduled to arrive at Niuatoputapu yesterday evening with relatives of the deceased, additional supplies, donated food, clothing, essential staff and equipment.
My ex husband and his daughter live on Tongatapu...and when I called his cousin who has a car so that he could take them away from the coastline...all he did was laugh. He builds all the churches for the Mormon Church. The guys in the background were also laughing. He said his wife called him and said to come home...he kept laughing. Then he said. "Tongatapu is flat...and there's nowhere to run. If it is meant for us to be hit...we will be, and not much we can do about it other than pray." The island that got hit the hardest was Niuatoputapu, and it looks like their two villages got completely wiped out and no housing left. Nine died including infants. I know Samoa got hit harder, but the Americans will be right there to "protect" their interests, so I don't get too worried. They get the help. But the earthquake was the same distance from Samoa and from Niuatoputapu...yet the press only spoke of the "American" island. What else is new? There is not much we can do from here except send money to help rebuild, so that is what I was trying to assist with.
Donna
I was thinking about you and hoping to hear from you. Have you talked to your love ones? I went to the Awa Festival because I knew I could touch basis with the Pacific Islanders. I met Fale and his son at the festival for it's been 10 years since I last saw him.
He gave me his phone number so I will call him early tomorrow. He lives near Puloto and maybe we can hear more news from him too. Today is the 5th so it is good to know that the French navy ship will be there from Australia, New Zealand. thanks for the news kaohi
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Donna
I was thinking about you and hoping to hear from you. Have you talked to your love ones? I went to the Awa Festival because I knew I could touch basis with the Pacific Islanders. I met Fale and his son at the festival for it's been 10 years since I last saw him.
He gave me his phone number so I will call him early tomorrow. He lives near Puloto and maybe we can hear more news from him too. Today is the 5th so it is good to know that the French navy ship will be there from Australia, New Zealand. thanks for the news kaohi