Severe Tropical Cyclone Oscar was one of the worst tropical cyclones to affect Fiji. The system was first noted as a shallow depression on 23 February,while it was located to the north of Fiji's capital Suva. The system subsequently developed further as it moved westwards and was named Oscar the next day. Oscar subsequently intensified as it moved westwards and gradually developed further on 27February. The system subsequently turned and started to move south-eastwards towards Fiji.
On 23February, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) started to monitor a shallow depression that developed south of Rotuma. The system subsequently developed further as it moved westwards and was classified as a tropical cyclone and named Oscar by the FMS on 25February. The cyclone deepened further while slowly moving west-northwest away from Fiji. By midnight on 26February, the cyclone was estimated to have hurricane force winds near its centre, although its position and movement had become uncertain.[1] On 27February, Oscar began moving south-east towards Fiji, but whether this movement would've be maintained became very uncertain. By the morning of 28February, the cyclone continued moving south-eastward and agencies believed it movement would be maintained. The system continued to intensify that day and the eye came into the range of Nadi International Airport's radar at around 03:30FST.[1] The radar imagery showed that the cyclone had an eye within a better defined and larger concentric eye and allowed the FMS to perform hourly fixes on the systems position until increasing winds forced the radar sweeps to be abandoned..[1][2] Later that day at 12:00UTC (00:00FST, 1 March), the FMS reported that the system had peaked with estimated 10-minute sustained wind speeds of 185km/h (115mph) which made it a Category4 severe tropical cyclone.[1] The United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) subsequently reported six hours later that the system had peaked with 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 185km/h (115mph), which made it equivalent to a Category3 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale.[3]
Early on 1March, as Oscar passed about 90km (55mi) to the west-southwest of Nadi, it was decided to secure Nadi's radar dish and the satellite antennae as storm-force winds outside gusted to 140km/h (85mph).[1] During the afternoon that day, the cyclone began to weaken while it approached the southern Viti Levu coast at a speed of 4kn (7.4km/h; 4.6mph) before accelerating to 8kn (15km/h; 9.2mph) later that evening. Sustained winds between 115–125km/h (71–78mph) were observed on Viti Levu, with a maximum wind gust of 185km/h (115mph) recorded at Nadi Airport.[1][2] After wind gusts dropped and the pressure rose at Nadi, the radar was able to be brought back into operation at around 12:00UTC (00:00FST, 2March).[1] The radar's poor image suggested that Oscar was now south of Sigatoka, having accelerated from 7 to 15km/h (4 to 9mph) while the radar was shut down.[1] Later that day, the system moved south-southeast as it approached the island of Beqa, sparing Suva from the worst of its effects.[1] The system subsequently made landfall on the island of Kandavu at around 22:00UTC (10:00FST, 2March), before it left the Fijian group of islands by midnight on 2March.[1] The system then rapidly weakened before it was last noted during 6March, while it was located about 2,400km (1,490mi) to the south-east of Suva.[1]
Preparations and impact
Cyclone Oscar affected Fiji between 28February and 2March, and was responsible for nine deaths and US$130million in damages.[4] As a result of the storm's impact, the name Oscar was retired from the list of tropical cyclone names for the region. Ahead of a tropical cyclone alert for Fiji being issued on 27February, local radio bulletins made Fijians aware that a tropical cyclone existed several days in advance.[1] Gale, storm and hurricane warnings were subsequently issued for various parts of Fiji including Viti Levu, Kandavu and the Yasawa and Mamanutha island groups.[1][5] Ahead of the system impacting the island nation, the Nadi International Airport was closed, with both internal and external flights cancelled.[1][6] Schools around the nation were also closed with some being used as evacuation centres for the hundreds of Fijians who evacuated.[6] On 28February, the system started to affect Fiji with strong winds and light rain, before the wind and rain gradually became stronger the following day, with storm and hurricane-force winds recorded over the island nation.[1]
Damage was mostly in the form of severe flooding from storm tides and torrential rains.[7] Hardest hit areas included the Mamanutha Group, western and southwestern Viti Levu, and Yanutha, Vatulele, Kandevu and Mbengga Islands. In some areas storm surges reached nine to twelve feet (2.7 to 3.7m).[1] However, the highest measured storm surge value was 5.93 m (19.46 ft) at Rarawai Mill.[8] Flooding due to torrential rains was particularly severe in western and southwestern Viti Levu. At Nadi Market flood levels were about 12ft above the asphalt pavement. In the Singatoka Valley, which supplies most of Fiji's vegetables, most crops were destroyed as flooding reached levels beyond living memory of most people.[1]
Aftermath
On 1March, after the system had moved through the archipelago, the Fijian government immediately declared a national disaster and asked for assistance from the international community.[9] Efforts to clean up certain towns including Nadi, Lautoka, Sigatoka and Suva started almost immediately after Oscar had moved away, with the Sigatoka Town council initiating a spraying campaign to destroy mosquitoes and counter an outbreak of disease.[9]
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