Tropical Cyclone Evan, which is now moving past Samoa, has caused widespread destruction.
The storm which has winds of up to 160 kilometres an hour at its centre, brought down trees, flooded buildings and cut power.
The New Zealand High Commissioner in Apia, Nick Hurley, says reports on the damage are still inconclusive because disaster officials have not yet been able to venture out.
"But certainly from what I have seen and heard it has made a huge impact on, for a start, all the vegetation, the trees, the infrastructure, all around Apia the power is out. A lot of people don't have any water . The trees have snapped, in a lot of cases have actually come down across roads, crashed into the fale, onto the houses. There has been flooding also around Apia, making it very difficult for people to move around. At Aggies Hotel there has actually been severe flooding."
