Since Cyclone Gabrielle visited us, emergency preparedness plans have been spoken of all over the place — at home, at school, in the workplace, at church, at marae, on the street and everywhere you go, there’s some kind of discussion that comes up about how better prepared we can be for future extreme weather events.
For some, Cyclone Gabrielle ended when the power went back on a few hours after it went off. For others, it’s been a reccurring nightmare with pockets of hopeful and helpless moments as people ponder what has happened and what the future looks like for all who have been directly affected by the cyclone.
“We are deeply concerned for our whānau who have been sorely affected by the cyclone. Many have lost their homes, marae, kura, livelihood, their animals, their precious taonga and valuable things,” said Chrissie Hape, Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated (NKII) chief executive.
“The Tihei Mauri Ora Distribution Centre led by Ngāti Kahungunu iwi in conjunction with Civil Defence continues to operate, distributing supplies to isolated communities. I want to acknowledge the Tihei Mauri Ora team Cr Henry Heke, Wi Ormsby, Gail Titi, Brenda Ferguson and the team from Ngai Tahu for their ongoing commitment to this kaupapa,” said NKII chairman Bayden Barber.
The rescue mission part of this disaster is far from over — people are still being rescued as we look at pathways to recovery. These pathways will be very different for everyone and it will be a marathon, not a sprint. We need to look for the best solutions and not for a rushed one that may bring regret.
