The community of Waiohiki have been working together to cleanup the damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Photo: RNZ / Jordan Dunn
In Hawke’s Bay, the water is now mostly gone, but the dust has taken its place.
Thousands of tonnes of silt left by floodwater is being baked in the sun and the wind and traffic is blowing funnels of dust into the air.
The long road to cleaning up the district has begun in earnest.
The small community of Waiohiki was a hive of activity on Tuesday as residents and volunteers cleaned out homes.
Floodwaters had inundated homes a week ago and turned pastures to pools. In its wake was now a thick layer of silt.
Waiohiki Marae trustee Te Kaha Hawaikirangi said the devastation in the area was extensive.
“Of the just under 80 houses that are in Waiohiki, around 95 percent of them have been affected,” Hawaikirangi said.
“Yeah, she’s going to be a big rebuild. There’s only a small amount that weren’t impacted, so the majority of the community will be in repair-mode for some time.”
Waiohiki Marae trustee Te Kaha Hawaikirangi says up to 50 whānau were staying in some of the houses untouched by the cyclone.
Photo: RNZ / Tim Brown
The marae was the glue which brought the community together and during the flood it was a refuge for most of its people, he said.
“It’s one of the highest parts of Waiohiki and it’s one of the places that stayed dry. There were one or two other family houses that stayed dry, that were on high spots, and we had up to 50 whānau staying in some of those houses.”
That demonstrated the tight-knit nature of the community of about 300 people.
“Absolutely. You can’t turn away aunty and uncle or the nieces and nephews – that’s for sure,” Hawaikirangi said.
The community’s spirit was on full display on Tuesday, as the marae organised and fed dozens of volunteers, some who had come from as far afield as Tauranga.
Waiohiki is a tight-knit community of about 300 people.
Photo: RNZ / Tim Brown
Among them was Kayleigh Stubbs, who arrived from Tamatea to help despite knowing no one in the community.
The area around her home had barely been affected by Cyclone Gabrielle, so to be in areas like Waiohiki was confronting, she said.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Stubbs said.
“It really is heartbreaking. I’m lost for words really. I’ve been out here, I go to school at EIT and to see everything destroyed and everyone’s homes, it’s really heartbreaking.”
But among the ruin were amazing stories of hope and generosity.
(L-R) Fraser Hungerford, David Judd and Braden Hungerford.
Photo: RNZ / Tim Brown
Fraser Hungerford and his cousin Braden brought 30 generators down from Tauranga.
David Judd knew someone who knew someone from the area, so the trio got their gumboots on to help out.
Hungerford said Judd had gone above and beyond for those affected by the cyclone.
“Dave’s being a bit humble but he hired a digger when it first happened – he’s paying for his own digger – and he’s just going around clearing driveways out and getting trucks out. He’s been doing it since day one.
“There’s a lot of people just reaching into their own pocket and what’s been good to see is there’s just volunteers everywhere.”
Rick Kirkland had waited 14 months for his new Merlo Telehandler – he described it as the Swiss Army Knife of construction equipment – and it arrived just a week before the floods.
Straight away he put it to good use in some of Hawkes Bay’s worst affected areas.
Rick Kirkland with his Merlo Telehandler.
Photo: RNZ / Jordan Dunn
He wanted to keep the machine in pristine condition, but nature had different plans, he said.
“The devastation in Puketapu and Eskdale is very similar, Waiohiki’s bad enough but when you get out there and see the slash, and you see the powerlines down, and you see multiple cars upside down, trucks in ditches. It’s just biblical,” Kirkland said.
Yesterday, he was using the Telehandler to move cars stuck in silt in Waiohiki.
Council housing inspectors were also going through the area.
Many homes had already been yellow stickered with some red stickered, meaning the occupants could not return.
Flooding in Waiohiki one week after Cyclone Gabrielle.
Photo: RNZ / Jordan Dunn
Nearby, Jason Southon was waiting for a visit from the inspectors.
His home had been in the family for decades – his mother was born there.
“This is the family homestead. This is where all the family would come to and have barbecues.
“The family seeing it in the condition it’s in now is heartbreaking. You come here and the emotions just stir up.”
Alerts from the National Emergency Management Agency
- Keep up to date with advice from your local CDEM Group or from civildefence.govt.nz
- Floodwaters may be full of sewage, chemicals and other hazardous materials and should be avoided as much as possible
- Floodwater can carry bacteria that can contaminate food
- Protect yourself when cleaning up flood water and mud by wearing a properly fitted P2- or N95-rated mask, goggles, gloves, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, and gumboots or work shoes
- Throw away all food and drinking water that has come in contact with floodwater
- Do not eat garden produce if the soil has been flooded
- In power outages use torches instead of candles, and only use camp cookers and BBQs outdoors.
- Conserve water where you are advised to
- Check the location of pipes and cables before you dig; see Chorus’ Before You Dig website and beforeudig.co.nz for all utilities
- The best way to assist in the response is through financial donations and NOT through donated goods.
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