PM moved by devastation on Aitutaki

Devsatating, seen nothing like it before,”
These were the words Prime Minister Hon Jim Marurai used to open the press conference held at his office at 9.30am on Friday morning following his return from cyclone ravaged Aitutaki.
The PM and his Cabinet went to Aitutaki on Thursday morning to view the damage. Ministers William Heather and Apii Piho left Rarotonga for the island on the 8.30am flight and the PM, along with Ministers Wigmore and Rasmussen left on the 10.30am flight.
Cabinet was to meet at 11am Friday to be briefed by Finance Minister Wilkie Rasmussen as to the assessment of damage. Wilkie was due back from Aituatki around that time.
The PM said it was not until he was on the ground after the flight that the extent of the damage was evident. The wind was so powerful it had smashed power poles, snapped trees in half and big trees had their upper branches broken clean off. He said even the old people had commented that they had not seen anything like it before.
The PM estimated that 75 per cent of the buildings suffered total or partial damage. Many people were now living in community centres and schools. He was worried that many may up and leave the island. He said people stayed in their homes which may have been a good thing as two of the hurricane centres lost their roofs. They were unoccupied at the time.
In terms of priority, the PM said first priority was to restore power, the second to restore the water supply and the third was reconstruction beginning with people’s homes.
On the issue of power, he said there would be a boat from New Zealand later next week which would pick up 200 concrete poles from Rarotonga to take to Aitutaki. On the boat would also be other supplies like power cables. He said it was not possible to have the poles transported by the Hercules aircraft.
He mentioned the long term view was to put services like power underground in the future.
Asked what government was doing in the immediate term, the PM said that would be confirmed once the extent of the damage was known following which government will start sourcing funds. Some aid donors were standing by for advice of the estimated costs.
The PM said there was enough food and fresh drinking water in the shops for now but he said there was 100 per cent damage to crops.
The PM said all schools had suffered damage. He said he had been told by locals that they had underestimated the strength of the wind. He said it was lucky Rarotonga had not been hit. The tourist resorts were largely unaffected.
On questions relating to public order he said four police from Rarotonga were already on the island.
Asked who would coordinate the reconstruction phase, the PM said this would be driven by the private sector as in 2005 following the cyclones at that time.