Solomon Islands Weather gone Bad Resulting to 17 Deaths while 23 Official Reports of Missing Persons were Made – Damage and Death Toll are Expected to Rise

Solomon Islands weather resulted in a huge disaster as the heavy rain continued to pour for several days.

A flash flood that suddenly swept almost the entire residential district in Honaira was a result of Solomon Islands' weather condition that continued for days. The rain brought by a slow-moving tropical cyclone caused the rivers to burst their banks and that water to rush downstream into a low-lying, and heavily- populated, area.

The water from the Matanikau River destroyed bridges, homes, and infrastructures as it made its way down the area of Honaira. The river unexpectedly burst its banks which caused such damage and losses of lives according to Red Cross secretary general in the Solomon Islands Joanne Zoleveke. "We were watching the river but never expected it to rise so fast. It took us by surprise. That is why there are deaths," Zoleveke told Al Jazeera.

A confirmation was made, by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), that 17 were killed during the disaster brought by Solomon Islands' weather condition. The officials are still expecting the death toll to rise. As of this time, 23 people are reported missing.

The entire damage caused by Solomon Islands' weather is not yet clear due to bridges that were cut off. In the city, thousands of people have lost their homes, as they were completely washed away by the flood. Meanwhile, temporary shelters were established to the affected families.

The severe damage would probably have been avoided if the community just followed the government's announcement regarding their safety. According to Loti Yates, the director of the National Disaster Management Office, people lost their lives because they failed to follow the authorities' announcement that they should move away from the rivers.

Relief operations from different nations are also starting to come. The government of Australia provided an initial $50,000 for humanitarian emergency assistance. New Zealand will also be providing about $300,000 in emergency relief.

Before the Solomon Islands weather condition went bad, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake also struck said region. No reports of severe damages were made but communication to other parts of the country is still poor.