TONGA – Tonga could take six months or more to recover from what’s being called the worst storm there in 60 years, while nearly half of Fiji island’s residents are still in evacuation centres.

The storm, which was briefly upgraded to category five before being lowered to category four again, is to the southeast of Vanuatu and is set to lose power as it passes to the south of New Caledonia.

Neither Vanuatu nor New Caledonia are expected to be hit hard by the storm – it is expected to fall to category three before passing over Norfolk Island.

It appears the worst damage is already done however, after the storm made landfall in Tonga on Monday night as a category four cyclone, ripping roofs off houses, destroying crops, and destroying a church as well as Parliament House.

Thousands of people are still unable to return home and the government has confirmed three people were seriously injured by the cyclone.

The Red Cross said water and electricity are still out for many people in the island group.

Red Cross local adviser, Poli Kefu, says almost every second house visited had damage from the cyclone.

“I think it will take more than another six months to recover for Tongatapu,” Kefu said.

“This is more than likely the first time in 60 years for them to experience this very powerful, damaging cyclone.”

Kefu says people in Tonga should drink only boiled or bottled water, to avoid sickness.

New Zealand’s acting high commissioner to the kingdom, Elena Procuta, said early assessments conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture after the cyclone show there is enough food for the short-term.

She said root crops like taro, cassava and yam have not been badly damaged and they could meet immediate needs.

However there were also concerns for tree-grown staples like plantains, breadfruit and bananas.

“The government is still working out how they’re going to manage the food security situation but an early assessment might be that it’s not as devastating as it could have been. They’ve got sufficient for the short term.”

Samoa’s recovery and cleanup efforts are continuing after Cyclone Gita swept through at the weekend.

The cyclone caused widespread flooding, water damage and power outages.

Samoa suffered little structural damage to buildings and infrastructure but some homes were still without power due to downed power lines.

The Electric Power Corporation said it was working hard to restore power to all consumers by the end of the week.

Many homes located by rivers that burst their banks were still cleaning up mud and debris.

Health officials continued to issue warnings about dengue and other water bourne diseases, recommending people boil water.

Aid agencies have been working hard to help communities worst affected by the floods.

The Samoa Red Cross is prioritising water and sanitation needs for communities affected by the cyclone.

The agency’s general secretary Namulauulu Tautala Mauala said hygiene kits were a priority as the cleanup continues.

She said the Red Cross had been appealing to the business community to help with the provision of emergency hygiene supplies such as toilet paper, soap, towels, hand sanitiser , female sanitary needs and clothing.

Community groups and humanitarian organisations in New Zealand are calling for donations to help Pacific countries hit by Cyclone Gita.

The Otahuhu-Mangere Youth Group and Otahuhu Rotaract group are receiving donations of clothing and non-perishable food over the next three days.

The not-for-profit organisation Habitat for Humanity was also seeking help to provide housing aid. - RNZI