Funafala is an

islet An islet ( ) is generally a small island. Definitions vary, and are not precise, but some suggest that an islet is a very small, often unnamed, island with little or no vegetation to support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/ ...

Funafuti Funafuti is an atoll, comprising numerous islets, that serves as the capital of Tuvalu. As of the 2017 census, it has a population of 6,320 people. More people live in Funafuti than the rest of Tuvalu combined, with it containing approximately 6 ...

Tuvalu Tuvalu ( ) is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands), northeast of Van ...

that is inhabited by five families, with a church also located on the islet. Funafala means 'the pandanus of Funa', the name of a chief, after whom also the group has been named Funafuti.

Cyclones of 1883 & 1972

George Westbrook, a trader on Funafuti, recorded a cyclone, that struck Funafuti in 1883. At the time the cyclone struck, he was the sole inhabitant of

Fongafale Fongafale (also spelled Fogale or Fagafale) is the largest and most populated of Funafuti's islets in Tuvalu. It is a long narrow sliver of land, 12 kilometres long and between 10 and 400 metres wide, with the South Pacific Ocean and reef on the ...

; Tema, the Samoan missionary, had taken everyone else to Funafala to work on erecting a church. The buildings on Fongafale were destroyed, including the church and the trade stores of George Westbrook and Alfred Restieaux. Little damage had occurred at Funafala, and the people returned to rebuild at Fongafale. In 1972, Funafuti was in the path of

Cyclone Bebe Severe Tropical Cyclone Bebe, also known as Hurricane Bebe, was a pre-season storm during October 1972 in the South Pacific Ocean that severely affected Fiji, the Ellice Islands (now Tuvalu), and the Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati). Meteorologic ...

. Tropical Cyclone Bebe was a pre-season

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...

that impacted the Gilbert,

Ellice Islands Tuvalu ( ) is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands), northeast of Van ...

, and

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

island groups.Bureau of Meteorology (1975) ''Tropical Cyclones in the Northern Australian Regions 1971-1972'' Australian Government Publishing Service First spotted on October 20, the system intensified and grew in size through October 22. Cyclone Bebe continued through Sunday 22 October. Cyclone Bebe knocked down 90% of the houses and trees on the island, and the storm surge created a wall of coral rubble along the ocean side of

and Funafala that was about long, and about to thick at the bottom. As a result of the system's storm surge and flooding, drinking water sources across the island were contaminated.

World War II

During the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...

,the majority of Tuvaluans living on

atoll moved to Funafala, as Fongafale became a base for the American forces who occupied much of Fongafale islet. The

hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...

was also shifted to Funafala islet for the duration of the war.

References

Islands of Tuvalu Pacific islands claimed under the Guano Islands Act Populated places in Tuvalu Funafuti {{tuvalu-geo-stub