Cyclone Pat hits Aitutaki

Early on Wednesday morning (Rarotonga time) Cyclone Pat swept through Aitutaki causing an estimated NZ$11 million damage. Up to 90 percent of homes on the island have been damaged, with some totally destroyed. Thankfully no one was seriously injured. In the short term the clean up has started and temporary power has been restored to parts of the island. Phone contact is limited at the moment. Reports say that 100 percent of crops have been lost, which will be devastating for the locals. The major resorts suffered minimal damage and are still operational, although I'm not sure that all are currently taking new guests. If you have friends or family on Aitutaki, don't panic. Everyone is fine and guests have either been flown back to Rarotonga, or accommodated in temporary shelters, if required. Communication is limited at the moment, so internet and phone calls may not be working consistently. If you are booked to travel to Aitutaki in the next few weeks it would be a sensible idea to contact your hotel to check whether everything will be ok for your arrival. I know the accommodation sector are working round the clock to keep the doors open. The local economy relies heavily on tourism, so please don't give up on this beautiful island. Be patient, though as it will take a little while to restore everything to the way it was...My son has flown out to Aitutaki this morning, so hopefully I will have more news soon..

I would second the thoughts above about not cancelling a trip if you are heading to Aitutaki. Locals really on tourism money for most of their income. Your accommodations will probably be OK. Some food supplies etc may be limited, but should be sufficient. And, you will get the rare chance to see what a cyclone can do to a low-lying island, and maybe help out a bit while you are there. Try to bring some food over from Rarotonga, I'm sure it will help.

Regards to all, it's been a while since I've been on the TT.

Good to see you back, Raro, and thanks both of you for the local knowledge.

Just as an update from Rarotonga. CI News states that virtually all lodgings are operational, some have a number of rooms out of service. Newer hotels seemed to have suffered the least damage, limited to some roofs and landscaping. All tour operators report that the lagoon is virtually undamaged, barring some trash that was blown in. The worst damage was to older homes of "lesser" construction. Major restaurants are all operational, with a few of the smaller operations awaiting electrical service. They expect to have electrical service up and running at some point next week.

I do not in any way want to minimize the terrific damage the Aitutakians have received, and donations to Red Cross earmarked for Aitutaki relief are very much needed. I do want to advise people that tourism, such a vital part of the islands economy is, still up and running. It is a miracle that no lives were lost and that a major tidal surge was not part of this hurricane.

Papa Mike