Most Recent Disaster Declaration:
Tropical Cyclone, 02-02-2011
On January 24 and 25, Tropical Cyclone Wilma passed over the Kingdom of Tonga, bringing winds of up to 75 miles per hour, according to the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center in Nadi, Fiji. As of February 2, four islands in the Ha’apai island group in central Tonga—Foa, ‘Uiha, Lifuka, and Kauvai—sustained minor damage to houses and wharfs and significant damage to root crops and trees, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Local officials had not reported any fatalities or injuries as a result of the cyclone as of February 2. On January 26, the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga (GoKT) Cabinet and National Disaster Council deployed a national disaster management office team to the Ha’apai islands. Assessment results showed losses in household assets and a need for non-food items and shelter. According to OCHA, the Tonga Red Cross Society (TRCS) distributed prepositioned relief supplies, including blankets, bed sheets, hurricane lamps, kitchen sets, and tarpaulins on Lifuka island in the Ha’apai island group.
On February 2, Chargé d’Affaires Richard K. Pruett declared a disaster due to the effects of Cyclone Wilma. In response, USAID/OFDA provided $75,000 through TRCS for relief supplies to support ongoing relief operations in the Ha’apai island group.
Additional Disaster Declarations:
Tsunami, 10-06-2009
On September 29, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, 440 miles north-northeast of Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake generated a tsunami surge that resulted in waves reportedly reaching as high as 20 feet, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The waves particularly affected the small northern island of Niuatoputapu, located 400 miles north of Nuku’Alofa, killing 9 people and displacing approximately 800 others. The Tonga Red Cross Society (TRCS) reported that the earthquake and associated tsunami destroyed 76 houses, damaged 38 others, and destroyed or damaged water storage facilities and crops.
On October 6, U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Nauru, Kiribati, and Tonga and Tuvalu, C. Steven McGann, declared a disaster due to the effects of the tsunami. In response, USAID/OFDA provided $50,000 through the U.S. Embassy in Suva, Fiji, to the TRCS for disaster relief activities.
For information on additional USAID disaster responses in Republic of Congo, please see OFDA Annual Reports.
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