At mercy of mighty Mother Nature

NO ONE could say we weren't warned.

In fact, you could almost argue the frequent updates could quite possibly have caused a degree of apathy from information overload. Yet still, we must congratulate MetService and the local authorities for ensuring we were under no illusions as to the seriousness of the situation as the weekend storm bore down on the country.

It is all too easy to lay the blame when the forecasters get it wrong - and they often do - but how many of us will be thanking them for the many alerts we received, especially on Friday? Probably not many, yet we should all be grateful for the opportunity to prepare for what was correctly predicted to be a particularly damaging storm.

Sure, there have been other storms, and there will be more in the future, but in this case, while there was little we could do to stave off the approaching gales and heavy rainfall, we could at least get ourselves ready. And it seems many people did just that.

Calling into the supermarket on Friday night for some matches and another torch, a comment was passed that a few people had done likewise. Clearly a good many were heeding the message put out by our emergency manager, Max Benseman, who on Friday sent out numerous updates that we were able to put up online to advise people of what to expect.

Still, it was shocking to experience the ferocity of the storm when it arrived, and to then venture out and see the extent of damage. We must be thankful there was no loss of life.

For many it will have evoked comparisons with 2004, but this storm was, thankfully, not on that level.

Even so, there was a sense of awe at seeing the scale and scope of damage. It was as if a tornado had cut a swathe through our region. Certainly it must be a rarity that Virginia Lake is cordoned off.

Many homes and businesses have suffered extensive damage, and the true cost will only be known once a proper analysis is done, and that may take some time. But as we all do our best to maintain some semblance of normality in our lives - and it was noticeable yesterday that people were doing just that, out walking the dog or going for a jog, enjoying a cuppa - we must take this as a reminder of the power and unpredictability of Mother Nature.

As we join together in the great clean-up, we should give thanks to the people who forewarned us of the impending weather bomb, and also those who put themselves out to clear roads, remove debris and to restore access and essential services in a prompt manner.

If there's a lesson we can take from the weekend, it is that despite all the warnings, we are at Mother Nature's mercy. All we can do is ensure we are as prepared as we can be for next time - and there will be a next time, of that there is no doubt.

Feedback: editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz