A small tornado ('ahiohio) shocked Ha’ateiho residents this morning, 30 December, as it appeared suddenly from the lagoon area and roared through the central Tongatapu village leaving a trail of damaged homes.

Meliame Tunitau, who lives with her husband Sola and their four children, in their home on the main road, told Matangi Tonga the tornado ripped up the roofing covering their verandah, as well as the bathroom and toilet.

“The roofing over one bedroom and dining room was blown away as well, but the ceiling remained intact,” she said. “We are trying to get some roofing iron right now to nail on as it is still raining and the ceiling might cave in.”

She said before the tornado arrived from the Fanga'uta Lagoon side, she was inside the house with her three sons, while her daughter was outside weeding the garden and having a rain bath at the same time.

“I got a shock when she ran in and told me she could hear a roaring noise. And when I went to see what it was, I saw this thing spinning and I knew straight away it was a tornado.”

It arrived at around 10:00am.

“We all ran inside the house and as soon as we got in the house, the roofing was ripped up and blown away. It only took around two minutes for it to come and go.

“It was very strong and scary.”

The torando ripped though a church property across the road damaging the roof, and a neighbourng Chinese store leaving corrugated iron hanging from the power lines.

Survived

A block further inland, Heilala Fiefia Leota, her husband Taniela and their daughter, woke to the sound of the tornado and could see it bearing down on their house.

“I just thought that it's from the strong wind, but then when we ran to one of the rooms...you know we just looked right outside our window for the tornado

“It was just spinning ....we were just there holding each other, holding on the door so that we won’t be blown away by what's happening.

“We can see all the roof tops, like flying roof and stuff and I was like, Oh my gosh this is the day we are going to die today, you know, but then God was there, so we are still here, so we still survive.

“Actually, it was just outside our window, so this is the first time we are witnessing something like this tornado,” said Heilala.

The tornado lasted only 2-3 minutes, but parts of their roof were spread all over the area. Her washing machine, which was outside their home, was picked up by the tornado and dropped into the field across the road with part of the roof.

“Don't worry about that now, for the meantime, we are just thankful we are still alive. So we'll worry about that after the storm that's coming next,” she said.

NEMO

Staff from the National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) were deployed shortly after the tornado hit to assess the damage.

Tonga Red Cross staff were also talking to families in damaged homes to see what they urgently required, while Tonga Power linesmen were repairing damages to electricity lines.

Meanwhile Tonga is bracing for the slow moving Tropical Cyclone Sarai as it continues to make its way to Tonga waters from Fiji.

- By Eleanor Gee and Mary Lyn Fonua