Tauranga team dodge cyclone’s worst

Tauranga's Powersmart Solar team based in Vaitupu, northeast of Vanuatu, have dodged the worst of category 5 Cyclone Pam.

Vaitupu is in Tuvalu, which is north of Fiji and the team are there working on the solar project. They were due to move to a different region this weekend.


The small island of Vaitapu missed a direct hit from Cyclone Pam. Photos: Powersmart Solar

Speaking to SunLive Powersmart Solar's marketing manager Richard Cullwick says everyone is ok.

'Our thoughts go out to Vanuatu who were directly affected by the cyclone.”

'The only thing for us is that our team has been delayed for a couple of days before they move onto the next island. They are up in the remote Pacific until the end of May.

'The photos on Facebook show that the aftermath of some big swells that have washed up into the village.”

Richard says the waves have swept through the village as it's not that high.

'It's all surrounded by an atoll so it's what they have described as storm surges coming through. It's just picked all the stuff up and moved it all around.

'Nobody is feeling threatened or concerned or worried, or anything like that. They have been in the direct line of fire,” adds Richard.

'Our thoughts and concerns go out to Vanuatu. For Vaitupu, it's only been like a storm surge as opposed to pick waves crashing through. Everyone's safe and well.”

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