‘It scared the heck out of me’: Utah Tongan community still in shock over volcano’s destruction

A picture made out of video supplied by Broadcom Broadcasting exhibits a broken Latter-day Saints church on the Tongan island of Atata on Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, the day after tsunami brought on by a volcanic eruption close to Tonga. Feelings are nonetheless working excessive within the Tongan group of Utah after an enormous volcano eruption and tsunami within the island nation simply over every week in the past.

Kilo Folau, Broadcom Broadcasting by way of AP

Feelings are nonetheless working excessive within the Tongan group of Utah after an enormous volcano eruption and tsunami within the island nation simply over every week in the past.

Ivoni Nash hosts a Tongan radio present in Salt Lake Metropolis that airs stay as soon as every week. The most recent present on Sunday included many Utahns who nonetheless can’t imagine what occurred.

Many had been nonetheless attempting to succeed in family members on the islands.

“They're nonetheless in awe. They're actually unhappy and there's a lot of crying on the radio. There are many crying folks,” mentioned an emotional Nash.

Nash can also be this system director on the Nationwide Tongan American Society in Murray, a nonprofit group that helps Pacific Islanders. She remembers final weekend very nicely when that huge volcano eruption hit adopted by a lethal tsunami.

“It scared the heck out of me. It shook my entire physique,” she mentioned. “It’s actually scary as a result of I haven’t gotten ahold of anybody I do know.”

Fahina Tavake-Pasi who's the manager director of the group mentioned she additionally spent loads of time crying.

“The very first thing to return to thoughts is like, cry,” mentioned an emotional Tavake-Pasi as she thinks about what occurred in Tonga. “You're feeling helpless as a result of you may’t do something. The group again there's our household, our kin, our associates and neighbors.”

Tavake-Pasi mentioned she, too, continues to be attempting to succeed in family members. She’s additionally reached out to Tonga’s prime minister to see what Utahns can do to assist.

Getting provides from Utah to Tonga is sort of unimaginable due to the space and problem of really getting on the island.

The Nationwide Tongan American Society has arrange a GoFundMe account for many who need to assist.

Tavake-Pasi mentioned the one consolation is that the blast killed three folks when it might have been a lot worse.

“It’s a complete miracle the best way it blew up and the way shut Tonga is to the place it blew up. It’s wonderful that entire island didn’t go beneath,” Tavake-Pasi mentioned.