EDITORIAL: Top-notch response to deluge

John Maslin Chronicle reporter staff mugshot health rural motoring wheels driven

EVERYONE will have a story to tell about the floods that swamped Wanganui nearly a fortnight ago.

While much of the focus will be on the nightmare of the event, there are "feel good" stories too. Such as the men who defied the flooded waters spilling into Wanganui East to save pets. Likewise the women who provided hot food and drinks to those manning cordons.

But spare a thought for those sorting out this mess - the emergency teams, local authority staff and contractors toiling to restore order.

If there is ever an upside to such a disaster, for Wanganui it has to be preparedness. There will be discussion about giving those in the firing line ample warning and that is sure to be an item for debate down the track.

But while Wanganui's urban and rural folk have absorbed more than their share of nature's fury, the district is getting very good at reacting. Bringing the various strands of emergency services together takes skill and in that regard our leaders display that in bucket-loads.

The 2004 and 2006 storms would have tested any community but lessons Wanganui learned then appear to have been seamlessly activated about a decade later.

We know not everyone will be happy; who is in such events? But as one who witnessed the emergency response swing into action last decade, it is obvious systems here today leave us better placed than most to ensure damage and danger are minimised.

Today, a week and-a-half after floodwater breached city stopbanks and torrential rains savaged the backcountry, much remains to be done; it will be months before things return to anywhere near normality.

But we should tip our caps to an emergency response set-up that was quickly on the ground doing what it does best.