Funafala is an

islet An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be permanen ...

Funafuti Funafuti is the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 6,320 people (2017 census), and so it has more people than the rest of Tuvalu combined, with approximately 60% of the population. It consists of a narrow sweep of lan ...

Tuvalu Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-nor ...

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 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 east and the protec ...

as 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). Meteorologica ...

. Tropical Cyclone Bebe was a pre-season

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depen ...

that impacted the Gilbert,

Ellice Islands Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-nor ...

, and Fiji 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. 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. The cyclone contaminated sources of drinking water as a result of the system's storm surge and flooding.

World War II

During the Pacific War the majority of Tuvaluans living on

atoll moved to Funafala so as to leave Fongafale as a base for the American forces who occupied much of Fongafale atoll including building the airfield. The hospital was shifted to Funafala atoll 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