ABC A church with extensive damage in the town of Pangai on Lifuka island, Ha'apai, Tonga.

Tongan authorities say they have made contact with most of the smaller islands battered by Cyclone Ian.

Contact with small northern islands of the Ha'apai group, home to about 8,000 people, was lost when the category five storm packing winds of more than 200 kilometres per hour swept through the area over the weekend.

There's been extensive damage to the islands and at least one person was killed.

Communication and power is still limited in some areas and there is concern for the well-being of residents on low-lying islands.

The director of Tonga's Disaster Management Team, Leveni Aho, says it appears some smaller islands were lucky to escape serious damage.

"The path of the cyclone was very narrow indeed, so it hit some islands, and yet the neighbourhood about 40 to 50 kilometres away was almost untouched," he said.

Mr Aho, who is co-ordinating the emergency response to the disaster, says he's surprised there are not more casualties.

"We haven't had any further reports of any deaths, which is very good indeed, and looking at the amount of devastation it was a miracle that not more than one person has a loss of life."

He says residents on some of the low-lying islands are being moved to higher ground after a sea surge left flooded some of their homes.

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Contact made with Tonga's isolated islands as relief efforts get underway after Cyclone Ian