Defence staff surprised nobody hurt in Cooks cyclone

The New Zealand Defence Force told it's amazing there were no injuries through the cyclone that slammed Aitutaki in the Cook Islands last week. Scarcely a home was left intact after Tropical Cyclone Pat hit the island on Feb 11. The Defence Force has been serving islanders to repair their damaged homes & restore services.

Squadron Leader Kavae Tamariki, who flew to the Cooks with a Defence Force aid group in an Air Force Hercules, said being in such an overwhelmed area was "pretty humbling". "I am amazed that nobody got hurt when you see the amount of debris lying around." Aid had arrived at a crucial time & fresh water, food and temporary shelters were providing relief, the Government has given $200,000 to help repair damage, he said.

"The island has been hit pretty hard. There is a lot of task to do to restore essential services before they start the rebuilding process but the work has begun. We hope to make a positive impact while we are here.”

Squadron Leader Tamariki told that 68 homes were entirely destroyed and "pretty much 90 per cent of the houses have several form of damage". "There are a lot of people who are homeless, living in churches r with other family members."

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