By Mary Lyn Fonua

No deaths, injuries, missing persons or missing vessels were reported in Tonga by this afternoon as Severe Tropical Cyclone Ian, now category 4, with its centre packing punches from 194-268km/hr gusts, weaved its way between the Vava‘u and Ha‘apai groups today, passing close to the exposed small outlying island communities of Mo‘unga‘one and Muitoa, whose fate remains unknown.

However, the powerful cyclone that intensified to category 5 last night has surprised storm-watchers by letting Vava‘u off lightly without the expected destruction.

Ha‘apai

At 1:00pm today Saturday, TC Ian's centre was located 30 km north of Ha‘apai's main island Lifuka, and 15 km northeast of Mo‘unga'one island and 20 km north-northwest of Muitoa, and the storm was downgraded to a category 4.

The Fua'amotu Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in its 3:30pm bulletin today stated that Ian would continue affecting the Ha‘apai Group over the next few hours with very destructive winds of 105 knots (194km/hr) near its centre with momentary gusts up to 145 knots (268km/hr). The system was moving south southeast at 8 knots.

There have been reports of damage at Foa, with roofs lifted, but the full extent of damage on the group and particularly its small islands remains to be assessed.

 Reconnaissance

Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Samiu Vaipulu. 11 January 2014.

Tonga's Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Samiu Vaipulu said this afternoon that Tonga would organize its own reconnaissance mission as soon as the storm passed.

“New Zealand has offered services - they have got an aircraft on standby in Auckland already. Australia is also on standby to see what would be the needs from us, but we have informed them so far there is not a need.

"As of now we still have our own emergency funds and still have about T$5.6 million in that account and we still have enough to keep our operations going,” he said.

 A State of Emergency for Vava‘u and Ha‘apai was declared for 28 days from today, he said. The SOE would allow flights to operate on Sunday if needed.

NEMO

Tonga's National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) told press conference this afternoon that they expected more reports to come in from Ha‘apai as the cyclone passed.

“We are standing by to use satellite phones if they are needed,“ said the Director of Emergency Management Leveni Aho. “We are still using the normal communication lines and it's fortunate we can still maintain contact. I think it's the hospital we are worried about because it's close to the sea and we don't know if they moved the patients to the school that we prepared. Now we are still staying close and listening and just continuing to warn the public.”

Leveni he said that they had been raising awareness to be prepared in remote communities all week, and he believed the message was getting through.

Director of Emergency Management, Leveni Aho. 11 January 2014.

Vavau

Vava‘u appeared to have limited damage through the night and this morning when the storm reached its peak in the area.

“We were geared up and ready to direct a response but we didn't have to do that,” he said.

“Fortunately the impact of the wind was not as high as expected because when a category 5 was expected, it was a major threat, but it was very unusual to have a cyclone where the eye was so small that even when it was so close to the islands they did not sustain any major damage.

“The cyclone is so narrow it must have been less than 50km in radius to come through that gap it is very unusual. I think that must be the power of prayer - we have just finished our uike lotu!” he said.

“If you compare it to the last big ones Waka (2001) and Issac (1982) they were only category 4 but there are records of their destructive power and the damage sustained was massive.”

Hunga (VV)

NEMO had received reports of damage at Hunga Island, Vava‘u.

Caroline Hudson co-owner of the Ikalahi Lodge told Matangi Tonga Online that at around 9:00 am some massive waves were hitting the back of the island, before the height of the storm.

“I went and had a look over the backside and the waves are pretty spectacular over there, there's 30-35 foot waves coming up and hitting the cliff. If we didn't have those cliffs we'd be in a bit of trouble,” she said. The lodge was located in a fairly well protected position, and had three expatriate families staying.

The village on the island is home to 300-360 people. “It's more exposed across the other side and they are getting a bit of a rough ride over there, but everyone's taken a lot of measures to protect themselves,” she said.

Tongatapu

Rains were becoming heavier and wind was picking up in Nuku‘alofa by 7:30pm this evening as the cyclone was forecasted to move further south of Ha‘apai and to the east of Tongatapu overnight.