The category four storm battered Fiji's northern islands yesterday, with winds of up to 175kmh.
University of Otago student Eric Nabalagi waited anxiously yesterday to speak to his family in Fiji.
He last spoke to his parents, who live in western Fiji, on Sunday before the power was cut for safety reasons.
He hoped to contact them today.
They worked at a resort which evacuated all its guests to the main island on Sunday and staff were congregating in the main complex, he said.
"They said the wind was so strong...
"It's so scary."
No contact had been made with his sister and her husband, who lived on the northern side of the island, and Mr Nabalagi was "very much" concerned about their safety.
The Fijian community in Dunedin were supporting each other, he said.
He was keeping a close eye on media reports coming from the island.
Otago rugby player Seko Qaraniqio was also relying on Fijian websites and radio stations for information.
Reporters and emergency services had compared the storm to the worst on record for the area - Cyclone Bebe - which hit in 1972, he said.
Schools had closed, houses had been blown away and more than 5500 people had been sent to evacuation centres, he said.
He last spoke with his family, in Nadi, on Saturday.
