Mapping a First Look at Tonga’s Devastation After the Volcano Eruption
Russia
United
States
China
PACIFIC
OCEAN
Kiribati
Indonesia
Samoa
Fiji
Tonga
Australia
New
Zealand
Antarctica
Russia
United
States
China
PACIFIC
OCEAN
Kiribati
Indonesia
Samoa
Fiji
Tonga
Australia
New
Zealand
Antarctica
After a powerful undersea volcanic eruption near the island nation of Tonga on Jan. 15, early reports gave an indication of the expanse of its destruction. Tonga, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, is just 40 miles from the volcano, and just over 1,000 miles off the coast of New Zealand.
Samoa
WALLIS AND
FUTUNA
American
Samoa
PACIFIC OCEAN
Niue
TONGA
Fiji
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano
Area of
detail below
Samoa
WALLIS AND
FUTUNA
American
Samoa
PACIFIC OCEAN
Niue
TONGA
Fiji
Hunga Tonga-Hunga
Ha’apai volcano
Area of
detail below
On Monday and Tuesday, the New Zealand Defense Force and the Australian Defense Force dispatched reconnaissance flights, supply aircraft and ships to aid with damage assessment and humanitarian response.
The map below incorporates initial reports from the government of Tonga, which detailed death and damage after the eruption set off a tsunami that battered the nation and flung a plume of ash thousands of feet into the air, blanketing the islands. Almost the entire population has been affected, and the government has reported shortages of clean drinking water, food and fuel.
20 MILES
N
Vava'u group
Vava'u
Communications were
limited after the eruption
destroyed undersea cables.
Low availability of diesel and
clean drinking water reported.
PACIFIC OCEAN
15-meter (50-foot)
waves struck
the Ha'apai islands.
HA'APAI group
Emergency responders were deployed
to Nomuka, Mango, and Fonoifua islands
on Tuesday, where an evacuation was underway.
Fonoifua island
Only two homes remain.
Nomuka island
A 49-year-old man died.
Extensive damage was reported.
Mango island
A 65-year-old woman died.
All homes were destroyed.
TONGA
Tongatapu island
15-meter (50-foot) waves caused
extensive damage along
the western coast. Only domestic
phone calls were possible. Food
rations of milk, noodles, beef and
crackers were distributed.
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano
Atata island
Search and rescue operations began
Sunday. Residents were being evacuated.
TONGATAPU group
Kanokupolu
Officials said 21 homes
were destroyed and
35 severely damaged.
'Eua island
Two homes were destroyed
and 45 were severely damaged.
Food and drinking water
shortages reported.
Nuku'alofa
Kolomotu'a
Eight homes were destroyed
and 20 severely damaged
in this suburb of the island’s
capital, Nuku'alofa.
20 MILES
N
Vava'u
Communications were
limited after the eruption
destroyed undersea cables.
Low availability of diesel and
clean drinking water reported.
Vava'u group
PACIFIC OCEAN
15-meter (50-foot)
waves struck
the Ha'apai islands.
HA'APAI group
Emergency responders were
deployed to Nomuka, Mango,
and Fonoifua Islands on Tuesday,
where an evacuation was underway.
Fonoifua island
Only two homes remain.
Nomuka island
A 49-year-old man died.
Extensive damage was reported.
Mango island
A 65-year-old woman died.
All homes were destroyed.
TONGA
Hunga Tonga-Hunga
Ha'apai volcano
Tongatapu island
15-meter (50-foot) waves caused
extensive damage along the western
coast. Food rations of milk, noodles,
beef and crackers were distributed.
Atata island
Search and rescue operations
began Sunday. Residents
were being evacuated.
TONGATAPU group
'Eua island
Two homes were destroyed
and 45 were severely
damaged. Food and drinking
water shortages reported.
Kanokupolu
Officials said 21 homes
were destroyed and
35 severely damaged.
Kolomotu'a
Eight homes were destroyed
and 20 severely damaged in this
suburb of the island’s capital.
20 MILES
N
Vava'u
Communications were
limited after the eruption
destroyed undersea cables.
Low availability of diesel
and clean drinking water
reported.
Vava'u
group
TONGA
PACIFIC
OCEAN
15-meter (50-foot)
waves struck
the Ha'apai islands.
HA'APAI
group
Fonoifua island
Only two homes remain.
Nomuka island
A 49-year-old man
died. Extensive
damage was reported.
Mango island
A 65-year-old woman died.
All homes were destroyed.
Tongatapu island
15-meter (50-foot) waves caused
extensive damage along
the western coast. Only domestic
phone calls were possible. Food
rations of milk, noodles, beef and
crackers were distributed.
Hunga Tonga-Hunga
Ha'apai volcano
Atata island
Search and rescue
operations began
on Sunday morning
and an evacuation
process has begun.
TONGATAPU
group
'Eua island
Two homes were destroyed
and 45 severely damaged.
Food and drinking water
shortages were reported.
Kanokupolu
Officials said 21
homes were
destroyed and 35
severely damaged.
Kolomotu'a
Eight homes were
destroyed and 20 severely
damaged in this suburb
of the island’s capital.
Satellites captured the massive eruption. Among the many effects observed by scientists were about 400,000 lightning incidents recorded in the 12 hours after the eruption.