News Article Tropical Cyclone Harold

[verticity]

The good news: Vanuatu is one of the few nations with 0 coronavirus cases as of now (along with Tonga, Samoa, Solomons, and FSM among kava-producing countries).
The bad news: There is a cat 5 cyclone set to pass over the northern islands imminently..

Source: RNZ: TC Harold is now a powerful category 5 cyclone



List of countries with no COVID-19 cases as of April 1:
NZ Herald: Covid 19 coronavirus: Which nations still have no cases?

 

[kasa_balavu]

2020 sucks!

 

[verticity]

Animation of the eye of the storm passing more or less right over Luganville, Santo headed straight for Pentecost.

 

[verticity]

From former Vanuatu Daily Post editor Dan McGarrry, the eye directly over south Pentecost

 

[The Kap'n]

I hope they’re spared the worst of this virus. I’ve been thinking about them regularly and adding a category 5 cyclone to the mix could be disastrous.

Thanks for the updates.

 

[Kavadrop]

And the islands were just finally recovering fully from Winston... Glad to hear there are no Covid-19 cases!

 

[kasa_balavu]

It looks really bad

 

[nabanga]

The office I had in 2018 in Santo is flattened. It looks like the eye of the cyclone veered off to the east before it hit Efate though, so hopefully the main population center didn't get nailed as badly as with Pam. Vanuatu has always had regular cyclones but the big ones are definitely happening more regularly the last 15 years or so

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

Cyclone Pam was almost exactly 5 years ago, it hit the southern islands hard, but much less of the commercial/global kava is grown there. Even so, we saw shortages and price hikes afterward. Price hikes that generally have maintained since then. Kava is 5 year crop. 5 years pass since Pam and another Cyclone hits, but this time it hits the northern islands more directly. These islands, like Santo and Pentecost, are where the vast majority of commercially available kava comes from. If cyclone Pam caused shortages and price hikes, the result of cyclone Harry could be enormous by comparison. We shall see.

Oh yeah, and I also feel bad for the people and their property.

 

[kastom_lif]

Vanuatu has currently shut down all international air traffic. The local media says kava exporters are petitioning to be permitted to export 15 tonnes of kava by ship during the lockdown.

Media also report that disaster response is underway to most of the affected areas. Communication with Penama province (Pentecost, Ambae and Maewo) is still down as of the 9th of March.

 

[AlexisReal]

I heard a report, from Henry I believe, (sorry guys Im so foggy due to getting so intoxicated on psychedellic type substances, including heavy kava usage but but also cannabis edibles and pure LSD, which is very strongly potentiated by kava by the way and vice versa).

But there was some salvage and hooe despite much obvious destruction.

Let us just keep hope for these people and tbeir live.ihoods first and foremost.

 

[kasa_balavu]