Auckland Emergency Management duty controller Kate Crawford joins us now for updates on clean up after the tornado which devastated Papatoetoe in Auckland Last week.

If you cannot make it to the hub at Papatoetoe Library, please phone Auckland Emergency Management on 0800 22 22 00 for assistance.

• Financial assistance

The Ministry of Social Development financial support: Civil Defence payments are available for people who have been affected by the tornado. You don't have to be on a benefit to qualify. In most cases it doesn't matter what your income is or what assets you have.

Affected people can phone Work and Income on 0800 752 102 to make an application.

If you have urgent food needs as a result of being displaced by the tornado, you can look for providers on the Family Services Directory.

Food safety and illness prevention

Take care with food from your fridge and freezer to avoid food poisoning and manage spoilage issues. After more than two days without power, highly perishable foods may not be safe to eat.

• Throw out rotten or contaminated food quickly so it doesn’t spoil other food in the fridge.
• You can still eat food like raw vegetables, cheese and bread.
• Dispose of any food from the freezer which has thawed out and been at room temperature for longer than two hours.
• When the power comes back on, it is important not to refreeze food that has defrosted.
• If you are unsure, have a closer look and smell. If the colour has changed, it has a slimy texture or if it smells off, it probably is off.
• If you eat food that has gone off, you can risk infection from salmonella, campylobacter and a range of food poisoning bacteria.