Cyclone Gabrielle: Open letter to NZ from a resilient Hawke’s Bay

Opinion

Dear New Zealand,

On Thursday and Friday, we heard the sound of rain on the roof in Hawke’s Bay.

Everyone loves that sound. It’s one of life’s great joys to fall asleep to, particularly here.

Our sunshine famously produces the best wine in New Zealand, and makes us the best place in the country for a summer holiday.

But we are constantly on the precipice of summer drought. Usually we need rain to survive.

At the moment, though, that comforting pitter-patter just leaves us awake and awash with dread. Now we fear it could kill us.

Darryl Chambers clearing mud from his shed off Seafield Road after Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Paul Taylor

The past two weeks have been among the most challenging we will ever face. We’ve been put through a spin cycle of dizzying proportions.

People are dead, homes are encased in silt and our economic pillars have been blown apart.

New Zealand - you sent us helicopters, you sent us cash, you even sent us home baking. You rescued us. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

As power and cellphone coverage is restored to Napier and the bridges that weren’t destroyed are reopened, what we face now is a crisis in our rural communities.

Wairoa has a huge recovery ahead, as do the little places you’d never heard of before Cyclone Gabrielle - Eskdale and Puketapu, Pōrangahau and Twyford, Putorino and Pakowhai.

You’ve all been shocked into action by the images that have come from these farming and horticultural communities, both of devastation and hope.

Now comes your biggest challenge - to not forget them.

As a region, we ask in the days and the months ahead, that you keep them in your thoughts, and in your actions.

Flaxmere like much of Hawke's Bay was smashed but the community is resilient. Photo / Whakaata Māori

Our army of Hawke’s Bay volunteers has been focused on one thing over the past week, defeating this pile of mud and debris.

We’re winning, slowly, and we’ll start to rebuild after that.

But remember that if your thoughts drift from this event to the next big scandal, controversy or sporting event, then that mud will simply return again one day.

Either that, or it will be swept into your community when the next big weather event hits New Zealand.

Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle experience must be Aotearoa’s wake-up call.

In many places the water on Tuesday morning rose above our heads. That is why people died.

Blame can and probably will be pinned on failing infrastructure and poor warnings and unwise land use, but that’s not helpful right now.

What we know is that our climate gave our region a storm on a scale we’ve not seen. Help us. Reduce your emissions. Push those in power to make change.

Don’t send us a cake, and then let us drown again.