Fiji Storm Death Toll Rises to 36 – Reports

The death toll of a tropical cyclone Winston that has hit Fiji over the weekend has risen to 36, local media reported Wednesday.

According to the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, one person is missing.

On Sunday, the category 5 tropical cyclone made a landfall on the South Pacific island as the most powerful storm recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.

Some 8,500 people are reportedly in evacuation centers, with clear-up expected to take months.

The cyclone brought winds of over 200 mph with waves of up to 40 ft.