OCTOBER 2010 SIMON MCGREE, STEPHEN W. YEO AND SWASTIKA DEVI Flooding in the Fiji Islands between 1840 and 2009 SIMON MCGREE,1 STEPHEN W. YEO2 AND SWASTIKA DEVI3 1 c/- 29 Bradshaw St, Kingsbury VIC 3083, Australia
[email protected] 2 c/- Risk Frontiers, Macquarie University NSW 2109, Australia
[email protected] 3 Fiji Meteorological Service, Private Mail Bag, NAP 0351, Nadi Airport, Fiji Islands
[email protected] Destroyed buildings at Rarawai Mill, Ba, after the disastrous flood of February 1931. The loss of life from this event exceeded 200 people, mostly in the Ba and Lautoka districts. (Photo source: CSR, 1931). FOREWORD Flooding is a regular occurrence in the Fiji Islands. Floods bring some benefits such as increasing the fertility of floodplains. But floods have caused a great deal of damage to buildings, infrastructure, agriculture and livelihoods, and many people have drowned. This research report lists floods known to have affected the Fiji Islands from 1840 to 2009, together with a summary of their meteorological causes and damaging consequences. An extensive bibliography enables the interested reader to pursue further information. The report will be useful for residents, shop-keepers and students interested in their local flood history, for researchers of the environmental history of the Fiji Islands, and for flood risk managers. This research report updates and extends FMS Information Sheet No. 125 dated 15th August 2001, which listed floods occurring in the Fiji Islands from 1840 to 2000. The original flood series was compiled largely by Simon McGree. Information for the period 2001 to 2009 has been compiled by Swastika Devi and Simon McGree.