The streets of Fiji were eerily empty on the 14th March, 2010, as Tropical Cyclone Tomas approached the northern islands of Fiji. Schools closed, public services suspenced and international flights were cancelled, as a night-time curfew was put into operation.

“Wind gusts were peaking at around 230 mph,” said Matt Boterhoven, senior forecastor for the Fiji Meteorological Service.

The nation’s Disaster Council, chaired by Fiji’s self-appointed prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, declared a state of emergency for the northern and eastern parts of the country on Tuesday morning. Up to eight metre ocean surges and rising rivers were reported.

Tropical Cyclone Tomas, was recorded as being a category 4, (out of a possible 5), with wind speeds between 131 and 155 mph. Up to 17,000 people fled to 240 evacuation centres across the country. Moving at only 4 mph, the slow speed of the Cyclone increased the potential danger.

A 31 year old woman, Tamarisi, Tabua is the only reported death to date, with dozens of others injured. Tabua saved her sisters and two children, before being swept away by a strong sea surge on Vanua Levu.

The eye of CT Tomas was 48 kilometres in diameter, with storm-force winds extending out 240 kilometres, making it 480 miles in diameter.

TC Tomas was expected to drop to a category 3 (winds of 111-130 mph) late on, Tuesday, back to a category 2 by Wednesday. The cyclone is one of the strongest to hit Fiji for several years.

Meanwhile, further across the South Pacific, Tropical Cyclone Ului, another Category 4 Tropical Cyclone, also moving at 4mph, lashed the southern-most parts of the Solomon islands.

Originating in the northern part of archipelago of the Vanuatu islands, as a tropical storm, Ului did a tiny sharp dog leg north and travelled west, north-west. Gathering in strength, it briefly became a category 5, (winds over 156 ,mph) before turning south, south west.

On Sunday, 14th March, warnings were issued in Australia, of an extremely dangerous tropical storm heading its way. However, as TC Ului neared the Australian coast it was expected to decrease to a category 1 (wind gusts between 74-95 mph) by Thursday and remain at sea, according to the Queensland weather bureau.

TC Ului comes on the fourth anniversary of the TC Larry, category 5, which hit Innisfail, March 20, 2006. The high winds affected an area 150 km in each direction from the eye of the storm. This was the first category 5 Cyclone to hit the Queensland coast in 30 years.

However, officials admit, the path of Tropical Cylcone Ului remain unpredictable and expected to cross the Australian coast eventually as a Tropical Depression. The tropical islands of Vanuatu and New Caldeonia remain quietly tucked safely in between the two Tropical Giants.

In 1985 the former Venezuelan town of Potosi was deliberately flooded, so as to make way for a reservoir that would provide the nation with electricity. Now the former town has made a haunting reappearance, thanks to an historic drought caused by the El Nino weather pattern.

25 years ago, the Andean town of Potosi was home to approximately 1,200 residents. Carlos Andres Perez, Venezuela’s then president, landed in the village in a helicopter to tell everyone that Potosi was to be evacuated and flooded, its residents relocated, its colonial church and homes abandoned.

A hydroelectric dam was built, and the Uribante Reservoir rose until its waters had covered all but the steeple to Potosi’s cathedral. Read how Vanuezla is facing an electricity crisis that could halt the nation…

With the retail economy in tatters following weak Christmas and New Year trading and the Australian dollar firm, Easter travel deals abound.

2009 was rated as being the worst ever year for airlines and the hotel industries. Airlines were forced to take a long hard look at the efficiency of how they manage their operations, including coming up with ways for more passengers to manage their own travel arrangements. Some airlines now offer the traveler the ability to ‘check in’ on line. Airlines have been forced to offer super deals, amidst fierce competition, in order to struggle to capture a dwindled market.  Easter deals are all over the Internet as Australians get set once again explore the world, after a year of cubing overseas travel. Read how South Pacific islands have so much to offer right now, particularly for really good Easter deals…

Controversy swirls around the contents of an email that has been circulating known as the ‘Triangle of Life’ as a method for safely surviving earthquakes.

Those who have studied injuries and deaths caused by earthquakes, over the last several decades, say that you are much more likely to be killed, or hurt, by flying objects, than to die in a collapsed building. Experts firmly believe that the tried and trusted method of ‘Drop Cover and Hold On’ is still the safest method of surviving an earthquake. Read the numerous wrong assumptions in the ‘Triangle of Life’ email…

While there may appear to be similarities between the Chilean and Haitian earthquakes, there are also major differences.

While the Chile 8.8 earthquake was the second most biggest earthquake ever recorded, it was 21.7 miles deep. It was hundreds of times stronger than the 7 quake that hit Haiti, but Haiti’s quake was only 20.7 miles deep, which created more devastation.

Chile, the highest GDP nation in South America, is long used to major earthquakes, was much more prepared than Haiti, the western hemisphere’s poorest nation.

The worst earthquake ever recorded was 9.5 in Chile, in 1060. The following tsunami claimed more lives than the earthquake itself.

Read more on the effects of all three earthquakes…

Popular TV host and long time evangelist, Pat Robinson, claims that God is even angrier with Chile than He is with Chile. The result being the two major earthquakes that have recently hit the two nations.

Host of The 700 Club Robertson claims that Haiti made a pact with the devil. Chile has blasphemed against God and the international free market commerce by nationalizing their most precious natjural resources.

Hurricane Katrina was the result of the United States stand on abortion rights and that he prophesied a terrorist attack on the United States.

Whoopi Goldberg has been outright in her criticism of Pat Robinson, telling him publically that ‘Pat Robinson, you are wrong!”

Read about Robertson’s wide business interests which include thoroughbred race horses and Liberian diamond mines…

It is reported that 40 year old Dawn Brancheau had to be removed from the jaws of a 30 year-old, 12,000 pound male orca whale, after it had drowned the female trainer. Park employees at SeaWorld, Orlando, Florida, had to coax the animal onto a platform and pry its mouth open. It took two hours to retrieve Branchaeu’s body. Brancheau was the most experienced trainer at the Shamu Stadium.

Just minutes before her death the trainer was filmed playing with Tillikam, (Tilly). This is the third death Tillikam (friend in Chanook) has been involved in…

With EC02, an international forestation company, looking to plant 3.3. million kiri (paulonia) trees over 20,000 acres of land on the island of Malekula, Vanuatu, in the South Pacific, it seems big business has arrived in tropical island nation.

Creating jobs, providing social and economical stability to an area that sadly lacks even the basics of schools and providing medical care shops, is highly commendable. However there are other things to consider before such a huge project can get underway. Read about some of the side effects of growing Kiri trees.

When elderly Ni-Vanuatu grandmother, Irene Kasten, won seven night’s accommodation at a charity fund-raising event for the cervical cancer team operating in the tropical islands of Vanuatu, in the South Pacific, she could not believe her ears. Along with Weddings-Parties-Evrisamting Ltd, Dr Margaret McAdam of Brisbane, Australia, organized a Duck Race in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Participants were asked to purchase children’s plastic yellow ducks, which were then dropped from a helicopter. The first duck over the finish line, won the prize of two airfares from Air Vanuatu. Second prize was a seven night stay at Seachange Lodge, Port Vila, valued at AU$2000. Irene Kasten was stunned when her name was announced, as she had never won a major prize in her life. Read more to find out what she did with the prize and why…

The authorities report that the police are able to do very little with 95% of the child thieves caught for stealing on the streets of Madrid, as the age of criminal responsibility in Spain is 14 years. All the police are able to do is to confiscate the money from the offenders and send them to a Day Centre, which simply releases them in just a few hours.

The children target tourists and ATM machines, where one will distract the user, while the other one steals the money. They look for wallets placed in back packs, or in back pockets.

The children live in appalling conditions in camps, on the outskirts of Milan. Every day they can be seen going into the city to steal and beg. Many are beaten by their minders if they do not return with money.
Read more about how much money these children are able to make in just one month…