Oh no!

[Keroin]

I just found out that my old home just got hit by a cyclone. Looks like the worst area was right where our house was.

Reports are that 90% of the homes have suffered severe damage. The power and phone lines are gone so I can't find out how my friends are. At least I know that there have been no deaths.

Very worrying.

Poor Aitutaki.

 

[Keroin]

Heard back from one set of friends.

"The Island is a disaster. Very sad. some houses are collapsed to the ground
and 80% of houses have torn, missing part of the roof or no roof at all. The churches and halls are full. If the generator would not have worked yesterday, we would of sent all the guests to Raro. Let's hope we are safe and no other storm is coming."

I feel terrible

 

[Sir_Winston54]

:: Pointing a special K-powered good-vibes antenna their way. ::

 

[Keroin]

:: Pointing a special K-powered good-vibes antenna their way. ::

Thanks SW.

 

[YourCaptor]

Hey I'm sure you can help them out. Employ that conscious city you live in and collect some donations to send their way.

 

[neci]

i hope you are receiving better news from The Island today Keroin.

 

[Keroin]

Hey I'm sure you can help them out. Employ that conscious city you live in and collect some donations to send their way.

Bad timing, I think. The whole city has been busting its ass to raise money for Haiti. I doubt little Aitutaki can compete. I'll be donating to the Red Cross fund and sending over some goods as soon as I know what is needed.

i hope you are receiving better news from The Island today Keroin.

Well, I got this from our old boss:

"Well it was quite an experience – direct hit at up to 225 kmh windspeed. About 80% houses are destroyed or uninhabitable with roofs blown away and walls blown down. The concrete powerpoles snapped like matchsticks, ½ the trees are uprooted and all fruit gone. The whole place is brown from windburn. Many people have lost all they had. So it’ll take some time till power is on again and things get back to normal."

And this from one of my expat friends who is back in OZ:

"Everyone we know is safe and sound, no power for eight to ten days so no freezers no food no hot water fark~~ I'll keep you updated when I find out more."

So, at least everyone is OK, that's a relief.

Funny, before we left, there were already mangoes on the trees and my friend Tauono said that was a bad sign - it meant lots of cyclones this year.

 

[00Syd]

Ach - what awful news!

 

[Keroin]

Ach - what awful news!

I know. The people there have so little to start with. Now they have less.

 

[00Syd]

I know. The people there have so little to start with. Now they have less.

sadface

 

[YourCaptor]

Bad timing, I think. The whole city has been busting its ass to raise money for Haiti. I doubt little Aitutaki can compete. I'll be donating to the Red Cross fund and sending over some goods as soon as I know what is needed.

You can always strip. It's for a good cause. Wear your granny pantys, more cash will fit.

Come on K, you can find some way to send money direct to some non corrupt island dude. Use your head. How about heading over to Vancouver, I hear theirs a lot of rich tourists their at the moment.

I assume red cross will send all the basics. You should fit in something that will up their spirit. You know what they like right.

 

[DVS]

Latest news
Also, this...

I also read that there is a storm in the northern Cook islands that they think will become a hurricane within the next 24 hours.

 

[Keroin]

Latest news
Also, this...

I also read that there is a storm in the northern Cook islands that they think will become a hurricane within the next 24 hours.

Actually, cyclone Rene is headed directly for Tonga and they've upgraded it to a category 4. Poor Tonga, they are even less developed than Aitutaki.

Man oh man, shaping up to be a bad season in the South Pacific.

 

[Keroin]

http://www.youtube.com/user/CITV08#p/u/14/c_Sy-kC1A9I

 

[Homburg]

Oh that's horrible

I'm amazed that no one died with some of the video of those houses.

 

[Keroin]

Oh that's horrible

I'm amazed that no one died with some of the video of those houses.

It was so surreal watching those videos, seeing all my old familiar haunts - the grocery story, my friend's resort, etc - so messed up.

Sad.

The woman who used to work for us, part time, lost her house completely. She has three kids and nowhere to go.