62 Spent Christmas At Evacuation Centre
We left everything, even the food we bought for Christmas, and acted before it was too late. I thank the police for doing their job in assisting us in our safety.
Friday 27 December 2024 | 09:20
Ulamila Waqavatu (Standing second from left) with other family members at the Andrews Primary School in Nadi. Photo: Mereleki Nai
A bleak Christmas for some families in Nadi during the flood on Tuesday. Among them was Ulamila Waqavatu, who had to celebrate Christmas with rice and dhal at the evacuation centre in Nadi.
Ms Waqavatu and her family were among the 62 evacuees whose homes were affected by floodwaters around the Nawaka area.
The mother of five and her family had been living at Nawakalevu for more than eight years.
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Ms Waqavatu said before midday on Christmas day, the alert evacuation from police was different.
“When there is heavy rain and possible flooding, the police usually come and alert us to prepare for evacuation, but this time it was different. Police came and told us to evacuate immediately,” she said.
“We were still sleeping on Christmas morning when we were woken up by police to immediately leave our home as they will transport us up to the evacuation centre.
“I was not expecting that it would heavily flood our area but when police alerted us, I had no time to collect our clothes and food and cooking items.
“When I came out of the house toward the police truck, the water level had reached my waist. It quickly rushed towards our house.”
She said they had forgotten that it was Christmas during the situation on Wednesday.
“We arrived to the evacuation centre, and had dhal and rice for Christmas. This adverse weather and flooding have taught us that celebration of food and drinks doesn’t matter much on Christmas, God’s love for us matters the most.
“Despite the situation we faced during this Christmas, we are so thankful to God that nobody had his or her life taken away.”
Ms Waqavatu said that, for eight years, living at Nawakalevu and facing floodings, they had learnt to listen to every piece of advice that the police gave them.
“We left everything, even the food we bought for Christmas, and act-ed before it was too late. I thank the police for doing their job in assisting us in our safety.
A single mother, Vasiti Vosawale, whose house was also affected at Nawaijikuma Settlement, said it was a Christmas disaster.
Meanwhile, the 62 evacuees used 12 classrooms at the Andrews Primary School in Nadi. There are three evacuation centres in Nadi.
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