When Karina Nowak enjoyed a family holiday in Vanuatu just three weeks ago, she had an eerie sense of the devastation that was to come from Tropical Cyclone Pam.
"You could definitely feel it in the air when we were there... It was wet season but more so than typical," said the Hazelbrook resident who is married to a Vanuatu national, William Davis Soromon.
With many family links on the South Pacific island nation, the couple has helped lead local efforts to get aid to its recovering population.
Ms Nowak has set up donation points at her mother's Katoomba business - aBrasKadaBras at 112 Katoomba Street - and her Hazelbrook home at 23 Talbot Road.
She said the "biggest plea" at the moment is for sponsorship to cover the cost of shipping donations to Vanuatu.
"We've got people on the ground ready to distribute the donations. We just need to get those containers over there," she said.
Donations of clothing and health and safety items are still welcome.
"We're getting a lot of clothing, which is great," said Ms Nowak. "What we need to concentrate on is keeping up health and safety, so we need things like water sterilisation tablets, home first aid kits (which we're putting together), clean drinking water... We also need larger-sized clothing and footwear."
The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates 166,000 people were affected by the cyclone on 22 islands. Despite the devastation from the category five storm, Ms Nowak said Vanuatu residents were remaining united.
"The community spirit in Vanuatu is incredible. The communities are pulling together," she said.
With communication links disrupted, it was 36 hours before Ms Nowak and her husband could confirm their closest family was safe following the cyclone. It was five days before they were able to check on extended family and friends on the outer islands.
She expects the relief effort to be ongoing.
"Right now we're concentrating on the next month but we see this going for at least two or three months," she said.
People wanting to support the relief effort can visit the Facebook page, Give to Vanuatu - Blue Mountains, or call Ms Nowak on 0403 759 349.