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It has been nearly two years since tropical Cyclone Evan slammed into the Pacific Island nation of Samoa to devastating effect. During Evan’s peak, heavy rain and winds of up to 170 kilometers (105 miles) per hour caused storm surges and four meter (13 feet) high waves.
According to a post-disaster needs assessment completed by the World Bank shortly following the cyclone, the country’s agriculture sector was hardest hit. More than 7,000 families on the island of Upolu lost crops, livestock, and farming equipment, and many communities continue to be affected by the loss of income.
Leituala Afa is a vegetable farmer in village of Nuusuatia in one of the worst affected areas. He says that the biggest need in the community is reconstruction – materials like fencing remain a considerable expense for most households. Other people are rebuilding in safer locations away from the river.
“When the cyclone struck, the whole area went under water,” he says, “The storm destroyed fields and farms. Trees came down and ruined shelters. Most of the water pipelines were broken.”
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Source & Copyright: World Bank