Niue, one of the world's smallest and most isolated countries, was facing a massive cleanup operation yesterday after its worst cyclone in memory.
A national disaster was declared on the tiny South Pacific island, which lies 2,400km northeast of New Zealand, after it was hammered by 300km/h winds as Cyclone Heta swept through the region.
At least one person was feared dead after being swept out to sea, while several others are believed to have been injured.
The cyclone had already wreaked havoc in American Samoa, Samoa, Tokelau and parts of Tonga. But the damage done to Niue, which means 'behold the coconut' in the local language, was the worst seen for generations.
The cyclone tore through thatched huts, destroyed crops and damaged the island's hospital. High seas battered the island's rocky coastline which, unusually for the South Pacific, boasts few beaches.
Although the storm knocked out most of Niue's links with the outside world, New Zealand government officials managed to contact the island by satellite phone.