Fiji's Nadi River at critical levels, people warned to evacuate

Transcript

People in Fiji's second largest town, Nadi, have been advised to get out after the Nadi River reached critical levels around lunchtime.

Evacuation centres have been opened and schools closed as a flood warning remains in force for low lying areas near Nadi River and downstream of Votualevu.

The Fiji Meteorological Service has warned of heavy rain and flash flooding for the whole Fiji group as an active trough of low pressure remains over the islands and another trough moves towards the group.

Sally Round spoke to the head of the Nadi Basin Catchment Committee, Bryan Watson, around 1.30 Nadi time.

Bryan Watson: The gauges are showing a 4.5 measurement now at the Nadi Bridge which is, when it increases slightly, will go into the town so the warning has been given for the town that evacuation is necessary. The tide is still out but by five this afternoon we're expecting still increased rainfall and there's still rain in the hills so we expect flooding to take place at about five thirty when the tide again returns to a full one point eight height and this will cause a backing up of the floodwaters so we are prepared now for perhaps quite serious flooding at about five thirty, six o'clock this evening. So all precautions have been taken, the flood warnings have been given and the DISMAC and National Disaster Management Committee have taken over on managing the situation.

Sally Round: And evacuation centres have been opened, is that right?

BW: Yes, they're beginning to be opened now so people can move into those areas in the next hour or two so that's what will happen now.

SR: And so is this going to be a mass movement of people out of the town?

BW: Not really a mass movement. Those on the first floors and things like that will be quite safe but you have all the shopkeepers and business people were alerted about four thirty am this morning  that the flood was imminent so alot of that has been done but the low lying people out towards Denarau and towards the mouth of the river have to be evacuated and they will go to the main centres.

SR: And is this flooding likely to be worse than recent floods (of 2012)?

BW: I don't think so, I hope not. It will probably, might be equal to what took place in 2009, 2012 were the main two floods so we're expecting about the same situation but hopefully if the weather changes and the front moves through fast we won't have a continuation.