Vanuatu: Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam Situation Report No. 1 (as of 15 March 2015)

Highlights

• Tropical Cyclone Pam struck Vanuatu, hitting the capital of Port Vila, as an extremely destructive category 5 cyclone on the evening of 13 March.

• Winds are estimated to have reached 250kmph with gusts peaking at around 320kmph, causing serious damage to infrastructure and leaving debris strewn across the capital.

• Shefa Province has been declared a state of emergency, with other areas to be determined following aerial assessments.

• There are six confirmed fatalities.

• In Efate, an estimated 90 per cent of structures are either damaged or destroyed.

• More than 2,000 people are sheltering in over 25 evacuation centres in Efate, Torba and Penama.

• All commercial flights in and out of Port Vila are currently grounded, with only military flights landing.