Aftermath of cyclone in Tonga

Up to 70 percent of the homes and buildings in some areas had been flattened. The article says the cyclone by-passed the main island, Tongatapu: but my understanding is they still sustained 120 mph winds

Strong cyclone hits Tonga, killing at least 1

Emergency response teams in Tonga are continuing to assess the damage from Cyclone Ian, with one death confirmed.

Radio NZ,

12 January, 2014

The ABC reports the full extent of damage from the cyclone is still unclear as the storm which has now been downgraded to category three, moves away from Tonga and into the open ocean.

Winds in the Ha'apai group gusted up to 280km per hour on Saturday afternoon as the then category five cyclone swept across the islands.

Emergency response teams in Tonga are assessing the damage on Sunday, but are hopeful the damage to the worst-hit islands will be limited.

Tonga Red Cross head Sione Taumoefolau said the only reported death was on Lifuka.

New Zealand Civil Defence Co-ordinator Ian Wilson is in Tonga to assist the emergency services there. He says getting around the cluster of islands, which are home to over 8000 people, has been the priority.

Mr Wilson says two of Tonga's navy vessels are calling at each island and making an assessment as to the need and condition of those islands.

He says it looks likely most communties were prepared and made it to shelter before the storm hit with initial feedback from the islanders that there is damage and buildings have suffered, but that locals seem to be alright.

New Zealand Red Cross Aid worker Anne-Maree Delaney, who is helping co-ordinate relief efforts from neighbouring Fiji, says the damage to infrastructure on the main Ha'apai island of Lifuka is clear.

She says a Tonga Red Cross branch officer who was assessing homes in a town near Pangai found that out of around 27 houses only four homes still had their roofs on.

High Commissioner in Tonga Mark Talbot says the New Zealand Air Force Orion, which is still sweeping the islands, will provide the best picture of the damage.

AAP reports the islands of Ha'ano and Foa were also believed to be badly affected.

Director of emergencies Leveni Aho says he has serious concerns for 20 islands in the Ha'apai group which remain cut off.

"The picture comes to hand now, it was really bad," he told the ABC.

"I think it was 70% of the housing of the two islands that we have access to now have been affected - destroyed or partially damaged.

Mr Aho later said the cyclone was the strongest in 50 years and it was fortunate the centre of the storm was small, or there would have been widespread destruction throughout all the islands.

The cyclone bypassed Tongatapu, the most populated island, which escaped damage.