Cyclone Gabrielle: Volunteer army set up amid heartbreak in Esk Valley disaster zone

An army of kind-hearted volunteers – including some who have lost their homes and worldly possessions – has come to the aid of those who suffered the most during Cyclone Gabrielle’s deadly path through Hawke’s Bay.

Based in Bay View – on the outskirts of Napier - a volunteer group has been created to help those from nearby Esk Valley; the once-pristine rural hamlet featuring vineyards, orchards and many lifestyle and farming blocks which was hammered by a raging torrent of water early Tuesday morning.

The area is now a place of huge loss.

Lives – including that of a 2-year-old girl – were tragically taken by the water which swept through the valley, described by one resident as “sea like”, with “big waves”, and stretching hundreds of metres across.

Scores of homes have been destroyed – some even moved into neighbouring sections given the strong force of the flood water.

But incredibly, some of the residents who lost their homes and possessions are amongst the volunteer army who are out and about providing goods and help with clearing properties of ruined items.

Some of the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle in the once-pristine Esk Valley. Photo / Warren Buckland

“People are all pretty thankful,” group coordinator Quenton Swan told the Herald.

“There are people who have lost their houses but they have their lives. They are thankful for that. And they are thankful for the generosity of everyone else.

“It is solemn that we know there are people who have lost their lives, and we know it is a lot more than they have confirmed so far.

“But people are doing as much as they can to help out. People are on the positive, optimistic side helping each other out, rather than [being the other way].”

Swayn lives on a hill above Esk Valley.

He said his loved ones and property were “thankfully” unscathed by the cyclone.

For the past couple of days, he has been helping coordinate help for others for more than 12 hours a day.

The lounge bar of the Bay View Hotel & Holiday Park – which is the area’s evacuation centre - is currently inhabited by people with harrowing survival tales, sorrow at the loss of life, and also personal pain over the loss of their homes and all their possessions.

Swayn said that given the variety of losses, it had been hard in the immediate aftermath to figure out the best way to approach Esk Valley residents on what help they needed the most.

“We [initially] didn’t know how to help,” he said.

“When you are dealing with people who had lost their house, some people didn’t want anyone’s help and wanted to leave it to their insurance companies, other people were couples trying to clear their houses by themselves ... we now have people helping them do that.

“Everyone is working hard and we are trying to be organised. This has ripped through the whole community.”

The group is working in conjunction with Civil Defence.

“We are trying ... just co-ordinating people that want to help, and putting them into jobs that need doing.

“We don’t know what needs to be done until we are told, so we are finding out as we go.”

On Friday morning one of his roles included formulating a request to put through to the Napier City Council for items required at the Bay View Welfare Centre, which has been created at the local pub.

At the nearby King George’s Hall, items of clothing and pairs of footwear donated by the wider community are being laid out for those in dire need of clothing.

“Stuff that is meant to be happening with stuff like kitchens, generators and supplies to the Bay View Support Centre at the Bay View Hotel hasn’t arrived due to bridges [being out],” Swayn said.

“We are putting things in place.”

Swayn said supplies were available for those who need them.

But the big issue was providing things such as working fridges and freezers, which would preserve the food.

“We also have to work with council to find out where we can maybe dig some offal holes, separate the plastic from it and get rid of the waste,” he said.

“It is a hygiene thing. Everyone has plenty of food now but we don’t know how long the bridges will stay open out here and we get cut off [again].”

Like the owners of the Bay View Hotel & Holiday Park, Swayn said he and members of his team knew it was the right thing to do to help those enduring so much pain in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Bay View Hotel & Holiday Park publican Adrienne Morrin has opened her doors to devastated Esk Valley locals who were evacuated from the area ravaged by Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Neil Reid

For him, there was never a moment of hesitation to help out.

“There was a sense of helplessness on the first day,” he said.

“The reason we went into this mode is that there was no one with authority to tell us otherwise. We want to help ... it makes sense to help each other out.

“We are aware of the danger, but we won’t put anyone in a dangerous position ... we are doing this in a safe way.”