I-NUKU'ALOFA, i-Tonga - I-Cyclone yaseTropiki i-Rene yabetha i-Tonga ngemimoya enamandla ngobusuku bonke, ibangela umonakalo omkhulu kwizakhiwo zedolophu enkulu, ukukrazula uphahla, ukudiliza imithi kunye nokusika amandla kunye neefowuni zelizwe kwisiqithi sase-South Pacific.
Xa inkonzo yefowuni ibuyiselwe kwangoko ngoLwesibini, amapolisa athi akanazo iingxelo zokufa okanye ukwenzakala kwangoko ngexesha lesaqhwithi esiye sabetha amaqela amathathu eziqithi zobukumkani ngaphezulu kweeyure ezingama-24.
“Kukho umonakalo omkhulu kwizityalo … (kunye) nezakhiwo,” umphathi wamapolisa uChris Kelley uxelele unomathotholo weSizwe waseNew Zealand. “Amandla ebecimile ubusuku bonke, kukho imithi engaphaya kwendlela, kunye neentambo zombane. Ngokwenene kuye kwakho ukonakala okungephi.”
IKomiti yeSizwe yeNtlekele ibidibene ngoLwesibini ukuze iqalise ukuvavanya umonakalo kwilizwe lonke, echazwe ngusekela-mlawuli uMali'u Takai njengowona ubi kakhulu kwiminyaka engama-50.
Usomashishini waseNuku'alofa uLee Miller uthe obo busuku bebubothusa kakhulu.
“Ikhaya lethu lilungile ngaphandle kokuvuza kwamanzi,” uxelele iRadio yeSizwe. "Kukho umonakalo omkhulu womthi, iintambo ezininzi zombane ziphantsi."
UMiller uthe izibuko lekomkhulu "libhuqeke kakhulu ... sisafumana amaqhina amakhulu angama-50 (iimayile ezingama-55 ngeyure, iikhilomitha ezingama-88 ngeyure) apha kwaye ulwandle lusaza phezu kodonga lolwandle," uxelele iRadio yeSizwe. Uthe izikhephe kunye neenqanawa zokuloba zonke zibonakala zikhuselekile kodwa enye inqanawa iphoswe kulwalwa.
Abaxeli bezaqhwithi eFiji bathi ngenjikalanga isitshingitshane sasikwiikhilomitha ezingama-95 (iikhilomitha ezili-155) emazantsi eNuku'alofa kwaye amandla aso bekulindeleke ukuba sibe mandundu njengoko sasisiya kulwandle oluvulekileyo.
Esi sitshingitshane sehlisiwe saya kutsho kuDidi 3, ehambisa imimoya ukuya kutsho kwiikhilomitha ezingama-130 ngeyure embindini wayo.
Ngaphambi kokuba liphulukane nonxibelelwano nekomkhulu, iNuku’alofa, ngoMvulo, iqela lesiqithi saseHa’apai esikumbindi welo chwebakazi, lalijamelene “nezaqhwithi zenkanyamba ezonakalisayo” ezazihamba ngeekhilomitha ezingama-143 ngeyure. iOfisi yeMeteorological yatsho. Bekulindelwe izandyondyo zemvula, iindudumo, ukukhukhumala kolwandle kunye nezikhukula.
Kwiqela leziqithi zaseVava'u ezisemantla, unxibelelwano lwalahleka kwangoko ngoMvulo emva kokuba uRene ebethe. Imimandla engaselunxwemeni yayikhukulisekile njengoko iilwandle ezilwayo zisithela elunxwemeni.
U-Kelley uthe akukho kufa okanye konzakala kuye kwaxelwa eVava'u okanye eHa'apai, kwaye eyona mpembelelo inkulu ukuza kuthi ga ngoku yayikwizityalo.
“Siyawazi umonakalo okhoyo kwizakhiwo kodwa akukho nto imbi okwangoku,” utshilo.
Izandyondyo zemvula ziye zakhukulisa iindawo ezininzi, ngoxa imimoya enamandla yawisa imithi yesundu yebhanana neziqhamo kwimithi yemango neyokutya.
UTakai wathi ngaxa lithile ngokuhlwa kwangoMvulo kuye kwaba yingozi kakhulu ukuphuma phandle.
“Kungxola kakhulu, kufana … nesiporo sikaloliwe sijikeleza. Iya isiba mandundu ngoku, ngethemba lokuba le yeyona nto imbi kakhulu,” utshilo u-National Radio.
UHank Gros, oqhuba ishishini lokhenketho eNeiafu, eyona dolophu inkulu kwiqela leVava'u, uthe umoya ovuthuzayo wehlile ngoMvulo emva kwemini, kodwa abahlali bajongane neentsuku ezintandathu bengenambane kuba zonke iintambo ziphantsi. Uthe umonakalo jikelele ungaphantsi kunoko bekulindelwe.
“Besinethamsanqa elikhulu apha,” uxelele iNational Radio. “Izindlu ezimbalwa ziphulukene nophahla kodwa ubukhulu becala … ukonakala kwezityalo uninzi lwebhanana (iintende) luphantsi.”
Uninzi lweendawo zokungcebeleka zabakhenkethi zibike umonakalo omncinci, utshilo.
Kwi-Ha'apai ephantsi, abantu bafuduselwa kwiindawo eziphakamileyo kunye namaziko angxamisekileyo ukuze bakhuseleke, uKelley uthe, kunye nesiphango sokusika amandla kunye nonxibelelwano, kunye nokonakalisa izindlu, imithi kunye nezitiya zelali.
Isitshingitshane sikwanqumle izixhobo zombane eNuku'alofa, kodwa unxibelelwano olusuka kwikomkhulu lusiya kwezinye iziqithi lubuyiselwe kwangethuba ngoLwesibini emva kokunqunyulwa ixesha elininzi ngoMvulo.
ITonga, ubukumkani bokugqibela boMzantsi Pasifiki, inabemi abali-101,000.
Kwangoko, iNkulumbuso yaseNew Zealand uJohn Key uthe urhulumente wakhe sele esebenza ne-Australia, iFransi kunye neTonga ukulungelelanisa uncedo.
