Tropical Cyclone Pam, a Category 5 2015 storm, caused significant damage, particularly in the central and southern parts of Vanuatu. Food stocks and water sources were damaged or destroyed; 95% of crops in affected areas were wiped out. [82] Immediately following the cyclone's impact in Vanuatu, governments across the world began providing aid relief funds. “We are requesting our police officers to move into different communities to let them know they need to be evacuated to certain areas; we’ll be using mostly the churches and the public buildings.”. [70], On 15 March gale-force winds began affecting northern parts of the North Island and continued into the following day,[71] with gusts peaking at 148 km/h (92 mph) in Kaeo and 144 km/h (89 mph) in Hicks Bay. [67] The second and highest level of cyclone alert was raised at 03:00 local time on 14 March 2015 for the islands of Maré and Lifou,[68] and the alert ended at 17:00 and 20:00 local time on the same day. [29] Acting director of the Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office, Peter Korisa, warned that should Pam strike the capital of Port Vila it could be worse than Cyclone Uma in 1987 which killed 50 people and caused US$150 million in damage. The storm gained energy from the warm waters of the South Pacific The flow of warm, rapidly rising air produced an area of extreme low pressure at the centre. The storm's appearance and areal coverage of showers remained stationary until the following day,[6] when the formation of rainbands wrapping about the centre of the system prompted the FMS to upgrade the storm's classification to a category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone scale, assigning it the name Pam. Internationa Impacts of Development in India, Environmental Impacts of Development in India, Volcanoes in Different Parts of the World, Earthquakes in Different Parts of the World, Geology and Coastal Landscapes of Erosion, Climate and Coastal Landscapes of Erosion. Catastrophic damage occurred as the storm moved through the archipelago, particularly in Efate, location of the Ni-Vanuatu capital of Port Vila; and the Tafea islands of Erromango and Tanna. Evacuation centres were identified across the country. Contact with Anuta was lost as all its phone lines failed;[57] the island remained isolated for at least a week after Pam's passage. [8], Following the storm's naming, Pam began to curve southwards around midday on 9 March. [44], Prior to the formation of Cyclone Pam, flooding from king tides, which peaked at 3.4 m (11 ft) on 19 February 2015, caused considerable road damage across the multi-island nation of Tuvalu. Food stocks and water sources were damaged or destroyed; 95% of crops in affected areas were wiped out. About 188,000 people were affected out of a total population of 270,000. Cyclone Pam: solutions to the human cost of climate change Cyclone Pam is only the latest event calling for an effective response at global level … [86] A second CASA-235 was dispatched from French Polynesia carrying tools for rebuilding, satelitte communications, tents and logistics supplies for 10 days. There is a need to set up temporary learning spaces as the majority of schools are expected to be affected – a high priority for both resumed learning but also to help with psycho-social healing and child protection. This environmental and social monitoring report is a document of the borrower. The emergency response in Vanuatu will continue for some months, such was the breadth and intensity of Cyclone Pam. 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