What began as just four hours of morning rain has left the entire village of Nadaro in Tailevu under water.
According to village headman Qaravanacolo homes were flooded, roads submerged and families were displaced, forcing villagers to navigate their community by boat.
Mr Qaravanacolo said the devastation will be a painful reminder of the past.
“This village always experienced flooding back then,” Mr Qaravanacolo told The Fiji Times yesterday.
“But this is the first time in a long time we’ve had water reaching into our homes. All 56 homes in the village have been affected.”
He said the water level rose so quickly and forcefully that even the village hall, usually used as a safe refuge during such emergencies, was not spared.
“We usually shelter in our village hall during floods,” Mr Qaravanacolo said. “But today, even that was flooded.”
The source of the floodwaters has been identified as the Waisere River, compounded by a creek that runs through the village.
He said the creek’s winding path contributed to the problem.
“The water can’t move freely and backs up into the village during heavy rain. The creek has bends.
“We would like the Government to assist us in straightening this creek so that it can flow directly to sea.”
While the community has made attempts to mitigate the issue through river gapping, their efforts have been limited due to a lack of resources.
“We’ve only been able to do half the work,” Mr Qaravanacolo said. “We requested Government help two years ago, but we’re still waiting.”
He also urged the Government prioritise long-overdue flood mitigation work in Nadaro Village.
