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SALT LAKE CITY — Cyclone Winston is being called the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. At one point, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said winds from Cyclone Winston reached 224 miles an hour.
Unfortunately, for the people of Fiji, that storm is slamming right into them.
"The advice is to stay indoors and a lot of preparedness messaging has been ongoing," said Ahmed Sami of the International Red Cross. The Fiji government is saying more than 750 evacuation centers have been activated.
Residents and business owners have been preparing for days for this storm. But even still, it's difficult to prepare for a storm like this one — a storm the Prime Minister of Fiji said was "assaulting" the islands.
There are reports of flooding, and many places including the capital of Suva kept losing electricity.
A cultural celebration for the re-dedication of the Suva Fiji LDS Temple was moved indoors because of the approaching storm.
"The Lord has blessed you with an increase of your talents and in your feelings of gratitude," said President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Eyring is in Fiji for the re-dedication, but the cultural celebration program was cut short because of weather concerns.
Flights to and from Fiji are grounded as the island's prime minister warned people to seek refuge. The Fiji government asked everyone to be off the roads by 5 p.m. local time.
With 220-mile-an-hour winds, that cyclone is the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane.
A hurricane and cyclone is basically the same thing. The term "hurricane" is used in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific Oceans. In the Northwest Pacific, the terms "cyclone" or "typhoon" are used.
No matter what you call it, Fiji's government has declared a state of natural disaster.
The storm is expected to last a few days.
Contributing: Xoel Cardenas
