A Brigadier General with the Nevada National Guard who was in Tonga when Tropical Cyclone Gita struck said they didn't expected Gita to turn towards Tongatapu or expect it to become a serious category of cyclone.

“It was a severe, severe storm,” said Brig. Gen. William Burks, Nevada National Guard’s adjutant general. “In terms of sheer destruction, it’s up there with anything I’ve seen.”

“There is total devastation over the entire island [of Tongatapu,” he told the US DVIDS military news service

Burks was in Suva, Fiji with two other Nevada Guard State Partnership officials for meetings before travelling to Tonga on February 10 for a five-day State Partnership Program exchange. He said they were monitoring the beginning phases of the cyclone.

“At the last minute, it went south. Then it was time to batten down the hatches.”

The delegation stayed at a hotel near Nuku’alofa and Burks said “it was amazing how the guests and staff banded together during the storm”.

Even Burk had to mop up water as it seeped into the higher levels of the hotel.

In just two days, he noted significant progress in the clean-up process.

“The Tongan people can take pride in their resiliency.”

Ready to help

He said when the official request for assistance from the United States is received from Tonga, the Nevada National Guard will be ready.

“When the whole list of protocols have been met and we are asked to help, we’ll be the first to go.”

Burks resides in Reno, Nevada, and as the adjutant general, is the senior uniformed Nevada Guard Officer responsible for formulating, developing and coordinating all programs and plans affecting more than 4,000 Nevada Guard Soldiers and Airmen.

Since 2014, the Nevada National Guard and the Kingdom of Tonga have been partners in the National Guard State Partnership Program where Nevada Guard manages exchanges between Nevada military and civilian subject-matter experts and Tongan defense forces and government officials.