The estimated price tag of Cyclone Gabrielle for Hawke’s Bay alone has skyrocketed to over $5 billion so far.
Data compiled by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council in its Regional Water Assessment gave a breakdown of the costs to the primary sector, local government infrastructure, central government, funding packages, insurance claims and cancelled events as of May 2023.
The report estimates the cost to the primary sector, including agriculture/farming, horticulture and viticulture, as $1,712,500,000.
Local government infrastructure costs for Hastings District Council, Napier City Council, Central Hawke’s Bay District Council, Wairoa District Council and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council were estimated to be $1,485,160,000.