Cyclone Devastates Vanuatu

Cyclone Pam tore through the south Pacific island nation of Vanuatu last Friday and Saturday, packing winds of over 300 kph/180 mph. The Category 5 storm created so much damage that rescue crews from Australia and New Zealand are having difficulty reaching victims. “‘We have no contact of any sort with the outer islands, the priority is to get communications up and running. It’s very, very concerning that we haven’t heard anything from the outlying islands,’ Joe Lowry, a spokesman for International Organisation for Migration (ILM), told Reuters in Port Vila. ‘If the devastation is as high as we think it is on those islands, there is a chance that the death toll will go up very significantly’” (Reuters, March 16, 2015). Tens of thousands have been displaced and many have been forced to drink sea water as they wait for aid to arrive (BBC, March 17, 2015). Due to the destruction of crops and fishing fleets, the need for food is dire (The Guardian, March 18, 2015). 

Jesus Christ warned that one of the signs of the end of the age would be “the sea and the waves roaring” (Luke 21:25). The devastation and suffering in Vanuatu right now should motivate any Christian who is aware to fervently pray for God’s intervention. However, situations like the one in Vanuatu will only increase as Christ’s return draws near. The world will need to reach a point where it cries out for Christ’s return and the peace that He will usher in as King of kings.

For more insight into powerful weather disasters and the encouraging future beyond them, be sure to read Who Controls the Weather?