Tonga cut off by volcanic blast; fears grow for coastal towns

"From what little updates we have, the scale of the devastation could be immense -- especially for outlying islands," said Katie Greenwood, IFRC's Pacific Head of Delegation.

Hope those islands are still there.

Thoughts and prayers for the people of Tonga and the Pacific islands (Fiji’s Lau province) affected by this devastation eruption.

The Red Cross is mobilizing to respond to the worst volcanic eruption the Pacific has experienced in decades. FRESH water is immediately & desperately needed as soon as runways are cleared. NZ and Australia have responded and are on standby. Next immediate priority is humanitarian aid in the way of additional food and medical supplies. More than 80% of households in Tonga grow their own crops for their daily consumption.

All their eggs in one underwater cable. They need their own geosynchronous communications satellite, or a shared Pacific nations one so that they can remain in contact all be it at a reduced speed, with the world in times of disaster. Disasters are becoming more frequent and more damaging so having a fallback makes sense.

I hope they are ok and get all the assistance they need in the short term from their neighbors Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and others.