Darryl Worley, More Country Singers Trapped in Category 5 Storm
Darryl Worley is asking fans for their prayers. The singer-songwriter is currently in Fiji, where he and some other country singers and songwriters have found themselves directly in the path of Tropical Cyclone Winston.
Worley and fellow American artist John Stone are on hand for a week-long event called Tunes in the Tropics, which is slated to take place Feb. 20-27. The two men are part of a lineup that also includes Adam Harvey, Travis Collins, Ashleigh Dallas, Kaylee Bell and Darren Carr. The event is billed as "an intimate country music holiday with your favorite country music artists.
But nobody could have foreseen a cyclone sweeping into the area. CNN reports that Tropical Cyclone Winston has made landfall on the island of Viti Levu, with the capital city, Suva, taking a direct hit. The storm is the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane, bringing winds of 180 miles per hour, with gusts up to 220 MPH. It is the strongest storm on record for the area.
Organizers have been posting regular updates to Facebook, first to assure fans that the severe weather was not expected to strike directly in the area, and then to let them know that some flights had been canceled and various events would have to be moved to later in the week.
Worley -- who is known for a string of hits that includes "I Miss My Friend" and the 9/11 anthem "Have You Forgotten" -- posted an update to his Facebook page, saying, "It's pretty crazy out here" as the waves roll in and the wind roars in the background.
He posted another update later, saying that he and his wife, Kimberly, were with John and Tammy Stone, and that wifi is intermittent. "We have a good game plan, but we see people around us who may not even have a shelter to go to," Worley writes, thanking fans for their prayers and asking them to pray for the entire country and its people.
Worley's team posted another update to Facebook Saturday morning (Feb. 20), saying, "We have not heard from Darryl and Kimberly since last night! Please to continue to pray for them and all of Fiji." CNN reports that the severe weather has caused widespread power outages, and experts are warning of the danger of landslides, mudslides and coastal flooding.
UPDATE: In a post to Facebook, Worley's team let fans know that the singer is okay, but still asking for prayers as the bad weather continues.
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