It destroyed entire villages, flooding low-lying areas, and wiped out crops. The death toll from Cyclone Winston now stands at 29, and it is feared that number will rise further when communication is restored to outlying islands.
Lovu, on the main island of Viti Levu, was one of the areas badly lashed by the category five storm, and residents living in a squatter settlement there have described it as the scariest experience of their lives.
About 300 families live at the settlement. Some of the homes are destroyed, with families living on what is left of the foundations.