“It was like flying into a warzone over there. It was pretty chaotic and busy and very remote - no cellphone coverage or anything like that,” Johnston said.
They dropped off a satellite phone, generators, non-perishable food, sanitary items and medicine.
“It was all purchased by Downer, and flown in to make up food packs for 200 Downer staff and their families,” he said.
They made three return trips between Whanganui and Gisborne last Friday to deliver the supplies.
“The people were very grateful to receive what we were flying in,” he said.
Air Whanganui chief executive Dean Martin said the air service had also transported medical equipment out of Napier to Palmerston North and Auckland earlier in the week.
Whanganui Fire Station officer Jason Hamlin said six Whanganui fire personnel had also gone to assist with the flood response.
All six have been based in Napier, one of the worst-affected areas, with people struggling for essentials and power not yet fully restored.
The Whanganui firefighters have been assisting in Urban Search and Rescue (Usar) operations or providing support for those engaging in Usar operations.
The Usar operations have involved personnel searching people’s homes, with each person assigned their own area to check and support roles providing a logistical role for those operations.
The six personnel left for Napier on Tuesday, February 14, and Hamlin said they’re expected to return to Whanganui early this week.
“We’re hoping [Tuesday],” he said.
Whanganui District Council emergency manager Tim Crowe said the council deployed three experienced Civil Defence staff in Welfare and Welfare Outreach roles in Hawke’s Bay, one of whom is a member of the National Emergency Management Team (Emat).
The three were deployed very early in the aftermath of the cyclone after the local response to Gabrielle was mostly concluded, and they were immediately utilised in the response, Crowe said.
“Whanganui District Council has maintained a local Civil Defence response capability to cover the risk of concurrent events, the earthquake last week being an example of this,” he said.
As well as these three, the council also sent a vehicle, Civil Defence trailer, satellite and IT systems to the region.
Other deployments from the region included five personnel from Rangitīkei’s Civil Defence Response Team and the Whanganui Red Cross, as well as others from the council’s partner agencies.
“At the regional level, a number of Emergency Management staff have been deployed - or have recently returned from deployments - around the country, including the earlier Auckland flood response,” Crowe said.
Another four Co-ordinated Incident Management System (CIMS) trained staff with specialist skills are on standby awaiting National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) activation to deploy.
The return time of the immediately deployed council staff was still yet to be confirmed.
Horizons Regional Council group recovery manager Dr Jon Roygard said the council had sent staff to the Tararua District as part of the effort to connect with people in remote areas.
“A number of properties in the Tararua are still without power and more are without cell coverage, with lifelines companies continuing to work to reconnect affected households.
“We also have Horizons staff assisting Napier City Council’s Civil Defence controllers,” he said.
As well as this, approximately 20 Horizons staff are providing support to Hawke’s Bay.
Roygard said the council are prepared to respond to any requests for help from Nema.
