Grieving … Pelenise Tialeagia, 74, is distraught over the loss of her family home and missing relatives in Samoa. 37323 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By Nicole Precel
SHOCK – that’s what Nise Brown felt when she heard the three villages her family lived in in Samoa had been destroyed.
She had just worked a full day and had sat down at home to hear the news.
“My family is still shocked, they’re sad and watching the news, on Youtube and Facebook, seeing the clips, it makes you cry,” she said.
The Laverton resident has lived in Australia for nine years with her immediate family, and before that, New Zealand but her heritage is in Samoa.
Two people from her family are missing after the tsunami totalled much of Samoa on 30 September.
An 8.0-magnitude earthquake occurred early that morning between the islands of Samoa and American Samoa which lead to waves reported at up to 1.7 metres in height.
About 15,000 people have been affected by the tsunami with more than 150 people confirmed dead, and that toll expected to rise.
The devastation stretched to the three villages Ms Brown’s family lives in; Lalomanu, Lepa and Saleimoa within Aleipata.
“We lost one of my cousins, she went out to sea and they still haven’t found her body,” she said.
Her family now has to play a stressful waiting game.
“She’s gone; we’re still trying to figure out who’s left.”
Ms Brown’s grandmother Pelenise Tialeaiga, 74, said her husband’s house in Samoa was also destroyed.
“My husband’s house is in front of the sea – all gone, everything gone,” she said.
“All the village is destroyed. I think just the church was standing there.”
She said she had been in contact with her pastor, who was conducting services and collecting supplies to send to Samoa in light of the tragedy.
“I feel sorry and I pray to God because what happens, nobody knows, just God knows everything,” she said.
Ms Brown said she felt helpless being so far from Samoa.
“You just feel like you so want to do stuff and you don’t know how or where to start,” she said.
To donate to Red Cross Pacific Tsunami Appeal visit http://www.redcross.org/.
