Penrhyn residents are reeling after strong winds ripped through their homes early yesterday morning, causing significant damage and raising concerns about the lack of timely warnings.

Around eight to nine homes in Omoka and Tetautua sustained serious roof damage, breadfruit trees were toppled, and the Tetautua School’s evergreen tree met a similar fate.

Puna Vano, Penrhyn’s executive officer, said that the Island Government had not received any warning or weather bulletin from Emergency Management Cook Islands (EMCI) Rarotonga to caution them about the strong winds.

“We are lucky no one was hurt,” Vano said.

Vano, who had woken up at around 1am that morning, described the night as “very still, dead calm”.

At about 1.20am to 1.25am, he said the wind started to pick up and the rain came pouring down.

Looking out he could see kikau flying around and the wind was getting stronger.

Vano, fortunately able to access internet, checked Wind Finder and observed wind speeds exceeding the reported 4 knots.

House roofs in Tetautua, Penrhyn were blown off yesterday morning with no warning received from emergency and weather authorities. SUPPLIED/23120530

“I believe the wind at its strongest was about 40 to 50 knots because roofing iron were flying off, breadfruit trees falling over,” said Vano.

Vano sent an email to EMCI director John Strickland asking for an explanation for the lack of timely warning.

He had received no response as of late yesterday afternoon.

Vano said he had spoken to EMCI and at several disaster management meetings “so many times” that the fastest way to give those in the north a serious damaging weather warning would be through text messaging in case the internet goes down, or through Messenger which is faster than email.

He emphasised that while weather bulletins exist, posted by Cook Islands Meteorological Services on their Facebook page and website, “receiving a warning asap” remains the critical issue.

Adding to the chaos, the barge delivering cargo to Penrhyn had to be diverted due to the adverse weather.

Yesterday, a community effort involving government workers and residents focused on cleaning up and securing damaged roofs.

A resident from Omoka described the experience as “so scary,” particularly without prior warning.

Roofing in Omoka, Penrhyn were blown off yesterday morning in strong winds. SUPPLIED/23120531

“We didn’t think it was going to be this bad since we had no news that the wind or rain would be that strong,” the resident said. “We had to rely on my children (the youngest is 13-years-old) and in-laws in our home, it was terrible.”
“Praise the Lord no one was hurt,” she said.

Cook Islands News has contacted EMCI and Cook Islands Meteorological Services for comments.

Meanwhile, two to three named cyclones are expected to pass through the Cook Islands this tropical cyclone season.

The peak of tropical cyclone activity in the Cook Islands is usually from December to February, according to the Cook Islands Meteorological Services. The tropical cyclone season runs from November 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024, and New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) expects elevated activity or risk in the Northern Cook Islands.

The Cook Islands Meteorological Services says the tropical cyclone risk for the Cook Islands is high for the upcoming season, based on forecast climate conditions and analysis of historical records.