Well the Cyclone cook has now moved on further south and will be impacting New Caledonia .  Cook got to category 2 , and for us that was an experience we wouldn't want to repeat. Monday today is a clear up and repair day.  Most businesses didn't open so their staff could get their lives back to normal.

So a summary of te last three days for us on the effects of Cyclone Cook. We have come through unscathed.  Our house is well built to survive the effects of the cyclone. We started preparations Saturday morning.  The cyclone was already making its presence felt in Vila with strong gusts of wind and heavy rain.

We went to our church on Saturday morning to help set up for the Easter Services.  However when we got there the preparations were called off and everyone was told to go home and prepare for the cyclone.

We came home, checked we had enough food and water to last three days.  The landlord put the storm shutters up on our windows.  So from Saturday afternoon until this morning (when we took the shutters down) our house has been dark inside.

Saturday afternoon Cyclone Cook started to show its full force.  Lots of wind and rain.  The cyclone apparently only got to category two (max is 5), and during the night we listened to the force of the wind and rain.  We are grateful it was only cat 2, we certainly wouldn’t want to experience 3 , let alone 5 (Cyclone Pam was a 5). 

We were safe and sound in our house.  When we got up Sunday morning we saw the effect.  Some trees blown over,  flooding in low lying areas,  Blacksands a village which isn’t far away from us had flooding and people evacuated. Vila is on the harbour hillside and so missed the worst of the flooding

The storm brought out snakes, (yes they are in Vanuatu, but they aren’t dangerous to humans apparently) There is a dead one just down the road from our house.

So we have come through our first cyclone.  It isn’t an experience we want to repeat, and definitely not if a 4 or 5 category cyclone came through.  We are surprised that the media in NZ hasn’t reported the effect of the cyclone on Vanuatu. From what we can see it has only mentioned Cyclone Cook and its path as it heads to NZ.  You are in for a lot of rain when it gets to NZ, so you look after yourselves.

Here is a picture of the snake.  It is hanging over the branch just below the plastic bottle. It is about 1.5 to 2 metres long (I wasn't going to measure it precisely)  The thickest part is about the size of an adults forearm.