Couple documents Fiji tropical cyclone

Scott Brew saw plenty of tornadoes growing up in Iowa but says this *Tropical Cyclone* is unlike anything he's seen. Scott and his wife had to evacuate their hotel room, and once the storm passed, they saw firsthand the incredible damage caused by Winston.

Scottsdale resident Scott Brugh captured stormy footage just hours before Tropical Cyclone Winston hit Fiji. Scott and his wife were vacationing on the island late last week when the storm began tracking straight towards them.

"Finally by Saturday they said you're evacuated by 7 p.m. you have to be in the ballroom, it will be secure built to withstand a cyclone like this," said Scott Brugh.

Inside the hotel ballroom, guests and hotel staff hunkered down for the night on mattresses. A generator powered this resort, but most of the island was completely without power.

"Trees were over the roads, there was no transportation in or out of the hotel for 2 days, clearing the roads. The airport was closed, so there were staff who didn't even know how their families were doing," said Brugh.

Sunday morning, guests stepped outside to survey the damage, hotel patios flooded, palm fronts strewn across the lawn.

Most of the damage was much worse than snapped trees. Scott's taxi driver is one of many who lost their homes.

"He knew his house was not built sound... the next day the foundation was left, he lost his house. But their spirits are high, they're still friendly, they're still hospitable, I mean they're good people," said Brugh.

Scott is a self-proclaimed "storm chaser" and told me that right before he was forced to evacuate, he took one final dip in the choppy ocean water. Scott and his wife arrived safely at Sky Harbor Airport this evening and say they won't be returning to the tropics anytime soon.