New Zealand cleaning up after Tropical Cyclone Pam

Communities along the east coast of New Zealand's North Island were cleaning up Tuesday after being battered by Tropical Cyclone Pam, but one small island community was still under a state of emergency.

The residents of about 20 coastal homes in the Chatham Islands, a small group of islands about 750 km east of the South Island and home to about 600 people, had been told to evacuate, Radio New Zealand reported.

Winds had peaked at about 80 km an hour, with gusts of up to almost 110 km per hour early Tuesday.

Chatham Islands Mayor Alfred Preece said in the report that power was out to some households and some houses had suffered minor damage.

Civil Defense Minister Nikki Kaye told Radio New Zealand that the New Zealand Defense Force would be available to help out in the Chatham Islands if needed.

In the worst hit area of Gisborne on the North Island, residents and workers were out Tuesday clearing driftwood and debris off roads in coastal communities.

Gisborne Civil Defense manager, emergency management Richard Steele said some households were still without power Tuesday and five roads remained closed due to slips, rocks and debris.

Steele said in a statement that the highest rainfall was recorded at East Cape where close to 300 mm of rains fell from 8 p. m. Sunday until 6 a.m. Tuesday.

More than 100 people who had been evacuated as a precaution against inundation by the sea, flooding and slips were returning to their homes. Endi