Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam was responsible for 24 deaths as it impacted various parts of the Pacific Ocean, before the name was
retired from the
South Pacific lists of tropical cyclone names. The system also influenced the Pacific
trade winds and with
Tropical Storm Bavi, caused one of the strongest trade wind reversals that had been observed on record.
Kiribati Bavi and Pam caused severe weather including swells, heavy rain and strong winds to be reported within Kiribati between 8–11 March. Significant damage occurred in
Tarawa due to swells, including to major causeways and strong winds struck outlying atolls.
Vanuatu By 12 March, the National Disaster Management Office in Vanuatu activated all emergency operation centres in the country. Officials reported difficulty in contacting outlying islands where there was poor infrastructure. In those areas, they advised residents to identify nearby shelters in case evacuation was necessary. Across the country, residents spent the day on 12 March stocking up on supplies for the storm. The
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies stated volunteers were on standby for assessments in Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu once the storm passed. Supplies of water and water purification systems were pre-positioned for the countries. Acting director of the Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office, Peter Korisa, warned that should Pam strike the capital of
Port Vila it could be worse than
Cyclone Uma in 1987 which killed 50 people and caused US$150 million in damage. however, these claims were never substantiated. Communication across the country was crippled, with only one cellular tower in Port Vila remaining operational. The power grid was devastated as well and officials estimated repairs could take weeks. Four days after the storm, nearly 60 of the nation's inhabited islands remained cut-off from the outside world. UNICEF has estimated that up to 90 percent of the buildings in Vanuatu have been affected by Tropical Cyclone Pam. Hospitals, schools and water supply are either compromised or destroyed. Catastrophic damage occurred on the islands of
Erromango and
Tanna. Communication with the islands was completely severed during the storm, and first contact with residents did not take place until two days after Pam's passage. A pilot who flew to the islands reported that all infrastructure had been crippled, with every structure severely damaged or destroyed. Concrete buildings held up during the storm, but lost their roofs. Locals reported two fatalities on Tanna, though this was unconfirmed by officials. Additionally, there was no drinkable water left on the island. Approximately 95 percent of the homes on
Tongoa were reportedly destroyed. North of Efate, the small island of Mataso was largely destroyed with only two homes left standing after the storm. Residents sought refuge in caves to ride out the storm; two people died there.
Tuvalu Prior to the formation of Cyclone Pam, flooding from
king tides, which peaked at on 19 February 2015, caused considerable road damage across the multi-island nation of Tuvalu. Between 10 and 11 March, waves, estimated to be , associated with the cyclone swept across the low-lying islands of
Tuvalu. The
atolls of
Nanumea,
Nanumanga,
Niutao,
Nui,
Nukufetau,
Nukulaelae, and
Vaitupu were most affected. Significant damage to agriculture and infrastructure occurred. A state of emergency was subsequently declared on 14 March. Water supplies on Nui were contaminated by seawater and rendered undrinkable. Damage across the nation amounted to US$92 million. Significant saltwater intrusion occurred on eight islands. Trees and crops were flattened, and residents sheltered in schools and in caves after their homes were destroyed. Rainfall was particularly intense over the
Santa Cruz Islands, where a 24‑hour total of was observed. Continuous heavy rain prompted the evacuation of 500 students in
West Guadalcanal. The storm later struck the remote islands of
Anuta and
Tikopia on 12 March, causing extensive damage. Powerful winds toppled numerous trees. Several injuries were reported, though exact numbers are unknown. Tikopia's lost roughly 90 percent of its food crop and fruit trees; water sources were also contaminated. Contact with Anuta was lost as all its phone lines failed; the island remained isolated for at least a week after Pam's passage.
Fiji Although not in the direct path of Pam, officials in
Fiji warned residents in low-lying areas of potential flooding from the system's outer rain bands. On 11 March, the
Northern Division activated its Emergency Operations Centre and directed precautionary measures to be undertaken, with the expectation that flash flooding and
coastal flooding from high tides were set to occur. Emergency shelters for possible evacuations were identified by 12 March. Fears concerning the Fijian infrastructure's susceptibility to winds and flooding were raised by the Disaster Management Office. Later that day, cruise operators announced that trips to the
Yasawa Islands would be cancelled due to the storm. Anticipating dangerous conditions from the cyclone, the fifth leg of the
Volvo Ocean Race was postponed until at least 01:00 UTC on 16 March. Other residents were warned not to venture out to sea as Pam passed nearby.
New Caledonia A pre-cyclone alert was raised in
New Caledonia as a precaution. The second and highest level of cyclone alert was raised at 03:00 local time on 14 March 2015 for the islands of
Maré and
Lifou, and the alert ended at 17:00 and 20:00 local time on the same day. All alert levels were then lifted on Sunday, 15 March at 08:00 local time. On the whole, material damages were relatively light, with a few fallen trees, a few roofs blown out, and only 26 people in need of emergency housing (18 on
Maré and 8 on
Lifou). At the height of the storm, a maximum of 6000 inhabitants suffered power outages, but power was then restored fairly quickly to the vast majority. As perceived by the population of the
Loyalty Islands, the worst damage was in fact the loss of the yams harvest, which will affect numerous communities of both
Maré and
Lifou, both as a means of subsistence for the coming season and as a cultural apparatus for ceremonies like weddings.
New Zealand Civil Defense officials in New Zealand issued severe weather warnings, that the remnants of Cyclone Pam could bring unprecedented damage to much of the northeastern coastal areas of the
North Island. Swells of were forecast with potential for damage exceeding that of
Cyclone Bola – which struck New Zealand's North Island in 1988. On 15 March gale-force winds began affecting northern parts of the North Island and continued into the following day, Some voluntary evacuations took place in the
Gisborne region. Power outages took place in the
Whangarei District. Along the coast, waves reached in
Tutukaka and near
Tolaga Bay. The cyclone also brought cooler temperatures throughout most of the North Island and northern South Island. A wharf on the north side of the islands was damaged by rough seas. Insurance loss in New Zealand amounted to
NZ$2.2 million (US$1.63 million). ==Aftermath==