Cyclone Pam Rips Through Vanuatu in South Pacific
Winds from an extremely powerful cyclone that blew through the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu were beginning to subside Saturday, revealing widespread destruction and unconfirmed reports of dozens of deaths.
Communication systems in many of the hard-hit outer islands remained down, meaning it could take some time before the full extent of the damage caused by Cyclone Pam is known.
Image: VANUATU-WEATHER-CYCLONE UNICEF PACIFIC / AFP - Getty Images
Waves and scattered debris wash up along the coast after Cyclone Pam hit the Vanuatu capital of Port Vila on March 14, 2015 in this handout photo from UNICEF Pacific.
Chloe Morrison, a World Vision emergency communications officer who is in Port Vila, said the capital's streets were littered with roofs blown from homes, uprooted trees and downed power lines. She said she's hearing reports of entire villages being destroyed in more remote areas.
She said there is no power or running water in the capital and that communication remains unreliable.
"It's still really quite dangerous outside. Most people are still hunkering down," she said. "The damage is quite extensive in Port Vila but there are so many more vulnerable islands. I can't even imagine what it's like in those vulnerable communities."
Image: Residents search through storm damage caused by Cyclone Pam. UNICEF PACIFIC / AFP - Getty Images
Residents search through storm damage caused by Cyclone Pam, in the Vanuatu capital of Port Vila on March 14, 2015 in this handout photo from UNICEF Pacific.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the impact and scope of the disaster wasn't yet clear, but he feared the damage and destruction could be widespread. The U.N. said it was preparing to deploy emergency rapid response units.
Located about a quarter of the way from Australia to Hawaii, Vanuatu has a population of 267,000 spread over 65 islands. About 47,000 people live in the capital.
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NBC News
A westward change of course put populated areas directly in the path of Cyclone Pam's 168 mile-per-hour winds. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said there were unconfirmed reports of deaths in Vanuatu's northeastern islands after Cyclone Pam moved off its expected track.
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