This past week, Fiji was struck by the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. Now that the storm, Tropical Cyclone Winston, has passed the island, authorities are beginning to assess the damage done to the island. CNN affiliate TVNZ reported that homes have been destroyed and low lying areas on the island are flooded more often than not. The Prime Minister indicates that much of the issues the island now faces has to do with the widespread confusion by its citizens. Many citizens left their homes for shelters and there are reports of power outages in much of the country. The country announced a nationwide curfew to keep the streets clear for cleaning. The airport has reopened, however, schools will remain closed for up to a week. As of now, 17 people have died.

The cyclone had wind speeds that would categorize it as a Category 5 hurricane, breaking the previous record of 178 mph by 6 mph (184 mph). Fiji attributes storms of this strength to the recent climate change according to this article from Vice. The island has taken steps to solve these issues, ratifying the UN’s climate change agreement unanimously and vowing to move entirely to renewable energy in the next 15 years. Fiji already has a program in place to relocate citizens who lose their homes to rising sea levels and had to move residents two years due to this issue.