▁called ▁in ▁to ▁assist ▁in ▁keeping ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 8 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁water . ▁Although ▁most ▁people ▁stayed ▁within ▁a ▁designated ▁sw imming ▁area , ▁several ▁res c ues ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁made . ▁R ip ▁curr ents ▁also ▁pulled ▁ 3 8 ▁people ▁out ▁to ▁sea ▁in ▁Mount ▁Ma ung an ui ▁Main ▁Beach ; ▁all ▁were ▁quickly ▁res cu ed ▁by ▁lif egu ards . ▁ ▁After math ▁ ▁Within ▁a ▁day ▁of ▁Cy clone ▁W aka ' s ▁passage ▁in ▁T ong a , ▁the ▁Government ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ▁deployed ▁an ▁aircraft ▁to ▁survey ▁the ▁scale ▁of ▁damage ▁and ▁re est ab lish ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁T ong an ▁Islands . ▁This ▁aircraft ▁was ▁sent ▁in ▁accord ance ▁with ▁the ▁FR AN Z ▁Ag re ement , ▁en act ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁which ▁states ▁that ▁assets ▁from ▁one ▁country ▁would ▁be ▁used ▁in ▁relief ▁operations . ▁On ▁January ▁ 2 , ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁T ong a ' s ▁Dis aster ▁Office ▁announced ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁likely ▁need ▁international ▁assistance ▁to ▁recover ▁from ▁the ▁storm . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁substantial ▁damage ▁to ▁agricult ure , ▁food ▁short ages ▁were ▁expected ▁to ▁impact ▁the ▁region ▁over ▁the ▁following ▁months . ▁By ▁January ▁ 7 , ▁the ▁Red ▁Cross ▁began ▁sending ▁supplies ▁to ▁T ong a . ▁H undred s ▁of ▁t ents ▁and ▁tar pa ul ins ▁were ▁brought ▁in ▁by ▁an ▁Australian ▁AC - 1 3 0 ▁to ▁help