Tiny islands find Cyclone Percy packs a punch

Cyclone Percy hit Roto Island, part of the Pukpuka group in the northern Cook Islands. Picture / RNZAF

Cyclone Percy, packing winds up to 230km/h, has left a track of destruction through two communities in the northern Cook Islands.

The cyclone yesterday battered the tiny atolls of Nassau and Pukapuka before moving out to sea towards the southern Cooks, sitting around 600km northwest of the island of Palmerston.

Yesterday an Air Force Orion found a fishing vessel's crew safe after they activated a distress beacon when the cyclone blew in the boat's windows.

Percy has already battered the Tokelaus, damaging roads and power lines.

The Cook Islands deputy police commissioner, Maara Tetava, said from the main island of Rarotonga that Nassau and Pukapuka islanders were assessing the damage.

"It has gone past, it's now heading towards Palmerston and Suwarrow," Mr Tetava said.

"It's eased down considerably and people are out and about trying to recover."

Few buildings across the two islands were intact and people were staying in them and creating makeshift shelters.

A missing handicapped man was found yesterday, Mr Tetava said.

"He wanders in and out and maybe he got lost in the storm but he's okay and safe - maybe a little cold from the rain."

Most people on the islands fished or lived off the land, and that would remain the same after the cyclone.

"They're survivors. If they can go through this cyclone they can do anything," said Mr Tetava.

He said people on the islands were running short of imported goods like corned beef and rice but had plenty of fish, taro and other local crops.

Emergency services were waiting for the latest weather data to see where the cyclone was tracking.

"Rarotonga's fine. No wind, and the sun is shining. We need more tourists to come."

New Zealand Aid Minister Marian Hobbs said an Air Force Hercules would help to get relief supplies to Pukapuka and Nassau.

The runway at Pukapuka had been damaged and could not be used so the Hercules would land on Penrhyn Island, further north. The supplies would be moved by ship.

Elsewhere in the Pacific, the Orion located the American Samoan vessel Breanna Lynn 700km northwest of Samoa.

NZ Rescue Co-ordination Centre spokeswoman Heidi Brook said the fishing boat had been found with all seven crew safe and well but the vessel had lost power.
"When she was in the cyclone area and the weather conditions were pretty bad she had all her windows blown in, but the crew had managed to board them up and pump out most of the water," Ms Brook said.

A state of emergency has been declared over the part of the Cooks hit by Cyclone Percy.

Chief Inspector John Tini of the Cook Islands Emergency Operations Centre said there was only about a week's supply of water on Pukapuka and Nassau.

"There have been some tropical cyclones hitting one or the other in the past but that is the first time both islands were hit."