Community support in times of need

The Whanganui electorate has taken a hammering again, as nature does what it does best, and reinforces every now and then that no matter how clever we think we are, the elements have an unbridled strength.

Weather events over this last weekend underlined to us the reliance we all share on electricity, and on each other. When I travelled around the electorate surveying damage to farms, roads, and homes, the overwhelming call was to get the power back on for animal welfare needs (such as getting cows milked) or for keeping food fresh and cooking.

Even simply communicating with the outside world from places like Patea was made difficult as today's telephones of choice all require electricity, and cellphone coverage was often sporadic.

Another issue that made itself obvious was that the national framework for emergency situations doesn't always fit the local experience of those on the ground. Particular aspects of communities such as decile, isolation and lack of services can ramp up the effect of a weather event even if it doesn't quite meet the standard for declaring a civil defence emergency.

Some institutions excelled in how they stood with us, while others struggled.

The district council, iwi leadership, and the omnipresent volunteer fire brigade were all well managed in setting up the welfare centre and controlling the initial stages of containment.

However, there was a lack of information from power providers, who were flat out restoring services and did nothing to correct the expectation that news reports had created, leading people to believe power would be turned on a lot earlier than it was.

While the assurances of Ministry of Social Development staff that there would be assistance in the clean-up, and for those who were for one reason or another not covered by insurance, were comforting, the response from insurance companies ranged from concrete assurance to meaningless.

In the end the one thing we could absolutely depend upon was the strength of the community and those agencies who see it as their responsibility to be on the spot for the public they serve.

Neighbourly assistance was also the hallmark of the weekend as people struggled to shift debris, make holes torn in roofs and walls weather-tight, repair windows, and generally make the place safe from flying iron and glass.

I spoke to one man who'd seen his neighbour collapse in front of him with a heart attack after the roof of his home was torn off and the physical and emotional exertion of trying to respond to the weather proved too much.

In the end, weather events can destroy a lifetime of work in a matter of seconds. Forests can be ripped up and fences and stock scattered. But the care and concern of neighbours and communities is only made stronger.

No doubt after the initial response has been made and enduring plans for recovery are in place there will be a debrief on events and lessons will be learned, but it will be the solidarity of provincial people who turn a hand in a time of need that will be celebrated.

Good on you, Wanganui and South Taranaki.