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Cleaning up in Aitutaki after Cyclone Pat - Source: ONE News -
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Two weeks after Cyclone Pat , the people of Aitutaki in the Cook Islands are discovering the cost of rebuilding will be much higher than initial estimates.
No lives were lost but the cyclone has caused millions of dollars of damage, including $6 million in destroyed homes.
Local families have lost all of their belongings and the Red Cross is organising emergency shelters and counselling for those who need it.
Power has now been restored to most of the island, and the New Zealand government is helping by providing an initial $350,000 in financial aid.
Squadron Leader Kavae Tamariki of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and his team have helped set up a central area where the local people of Aitutaki can come and collect fresh water.
There is also a team of army engineers, plumbers and electricians who are helping hospitals and schools.
Most tourist resorts were virtually untouched by the cyclone but Aitutaki will need the support of the Cook Islands' government to get through a long recovery.
"The sooner the government makes a decision on funding...the sooner I can go out there and say, people, please don't go, don't buy an aeroplane ticket, stay," says Aitutaki's mayor Tai Herman.
Locals have appointed a Aitutaki Cyclone Appeal committee to co-ordinate donations and relief efforts and have raised nearly $100,000 so far.
New Zealand's Red Cross has a Cyclone Pat appeal on their website .
