PACIFIC – Aid is on it way to Tonga. A RNZAF C130 Hercules aircraft carrying 12 tonnes of emergency relief supplies departed for Tonga yesterday.

New Zealand has committed an initial NZ$750,000 in emergency funding. New Zealand is co-ordinating the international relief response alongside other countries including Australia. The Australian Government is providing US$274,000 dollars worth of emergency aid as well. The aid will be life-saving equipment including emergency shelters, kitchesn and hygiene kits to assist over 2000 people in need. The Australian Defence Force will also conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, as part of the government’s broader effort to support Tonga.

MANY HOMElESS IN AMERICAN SAMOA

AMERICAN SAMOA – Hundreds of people are still in shelters in American Samoa, three days after Cyclone Gita caused flooding and damage to buildings in the territory. Yesterday US President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for the territory. RNZI correspondent, Monica Miller, said most of the shops in the capital of Pago Pago were closed or heavily damaged. She said nearly 800 people, including elderly and children, remained in emergency accommodation. “The government will have to find an alternative place to move some of these families. Some of them may well move in with churches at this stage but it is going to take a while for these people to get back on their feet.Schools are closed for the whole week too.”

DENGUE FEARS IN SODDEN SAMOA

SAMOA – People in Samoa are being advised to do a very thorough clean up of their homes and businesses following Cyclone Gita. Increased dengue fever cases have been an ongoing concern since late last year, and the cyclone has left many pools of stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed. rnzi correspondent Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia said locals were also being asked to boil water, while a significant number are still without electricity “I am still working on my clean up. You know my house was flooded and we have to clear out everything from the house and get good hoses of water and have a good clean up and dry things out in the sun. You know we are nowhere near Tonga, we are very minor.” Autagavaia said the hearts of many Samoans are with the people of Tonga.

Tongan’s speak in awe of terrifying night

TONGA – Residents of Nuku’alofa endured a “terrifying” night with huge amounts of debris, trees uprooted, and roofs ripped from buildings.

The category 4 cyclone battered Tonga overnight Tuesday in what has been called the worst storm to hit that country in 60 years. It had maximum sustained winds of 230kmh, gusting to 278kmh – along with record breaking rainfall of more than 200mm in an hour

Tongatapu and ‘Eua residents woke to what “looked like a war zone” and are assessing the extensive damage left behind the powerful storm.

Cyclone Gita’s destructive core battered the east coast, stripping palm trees bare, destroying businesses, churches, schools and leaving homes in ruins.

Devastating photos show buildings in Hihifo and Hahake areas of Tongatapu with roofs ripped off and homes inundated with water.

The Tonga Parliament house was levelled and school buildings in Apifo’ou college had been ripped off.

Correspondent John Pulu told Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report that many of the buildings in the capital stood no chance against such ferocious winds and many older structures have suffered significant damage.

With winds around 230kph during the night of the storm, Pulu said there had been significant damage to hundreds of buildings in the capital, and there was also significant flooding in some parts of the town.

Power was still out and it could be some days before the network is repaired.

“I’m dreading the damage in the outlying villages, they only have structures designed to withstand a category two or three storm,” he said.

Online newsite Matangi Tonga managing editor Mary Fonua said conditions were wild at the height of the storm.

A 100-year-old mango tree looked like a bomb site and other trees had just snapped in the wind, she said.

“We have not seen a storm like this in decades,” Fonua said.

“The wind was terrifying. It was roaring overhead. We could hear roofs being lifted. Amazingly, the emergency services were still going out.

“I could see the people across the road, their roof was flapping around the house, it was trying to disintegrate. I think a lot of people were very desperate last night.”

The Tongan government’s efforts to assess the extent of destruction by tropical cyclone Gita had been hindered by falling trees and downed power poles.

The Minister of Disaster Management, Poasi Tei, said teams of government assessors had been dispatched to villages and towns to report on damage caused by the category four cyclone.

However, they could not start their work immediately because the roads were blocked by debris and downed powerlines.

Police Minister Mateni Tapueluelu said his ministerial office and some other police offices had been flooded.

He said many school buildings had their roofs ripped off when Cyclone Gita struck.

About 80,000 people in Tonga, including 32,000 children, were at risk from Cyclone Gita, Unicef said.

- PNC sources