It's not unusual to have floods in Labasa

from w,
Once again there are floods after heavy rain in many parts of Fiji including Labasa. The town area, as we all know, has been built on a swamp area, very low-lying and many villages and farm settlements are alongside rivers. Schools closed from many on Friday, buses did not run and some bridges closed. It's not unusual to have such floods in Labasa. However enterprising people know this and have special shelves built into their ceilings to put their precious belongings if their houses become flooded. One photo here is a resident at Naodamu, and the other is of the road to Malua.
from today's Fiji Times
Quick action saves belongings

Serafina Silaitoga
Saturday, February 19, 2011
WITH no time to waste, Labasa residents in flood-prone areas took their household goods and belongings to higher ground ù bracing for the flashfloods that hit Babasiga yesterday. At Naodamu, a known flood-prone area, water levels rose quickly covering parts of the concrete stairs outside the Public Rental Board flats.

When The Fiji Times visited the area, resident Manoa Tora was busy tying their settee to the ceiling to avoid getting wet from floodwaters. Inside their room, bags of clothes and mattresses were tucked onto shelves built near the ceiling. Mr Tora said they were always affected by floodwaters over the past four years. "It's not an easy thing to go through especially when we have children and to have all our things in the house like fridge, settee, beddings and especially clothes go underwater," he said. "After experiencing the first flood in 2007, which was really bad, I decided to build a shelf just under the ceiling and we have used that over the past years to keep our household goods away from flood."

Other residents stood outside their houses, staring helplessly at the floodwaters rising steadily to their doorsteps.

Another resident, Kelemete Koroimudu said they had packed their household items away safely and prayed the floodwaters would not enter their homes.