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RNZ News
2 hours ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Wairoa flood one year on, residents still fear for lives
A year on from the devastating Wairoa Flood and residents still fear for their lives when it rains. When the Wairoa River burst its banks, it tore through over 400 properties, causing 40 million dollars of damage. Alexa Cook reports. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Wairoa residents still distrust council a year after devastating flood
A year on from the devastating Wairoa flood, residents still fear for their lives when it rains. When the Wairoa River burst its banks on 26 June, 2024 it tore through more than 400 properties, causing $40 million of damage. The resilient rural community has rallied hard over the past 12 months , but the emotional toll of that awful day still lingers for many. Marie Tuahine was one of many who fled for their lives in the early hours of the morning. "It was quite traumatising. The panic of trying to get out and get the babies out, they had to be carried out because they would have drowned... the water was quite swift coming through here." Photo: Calvin Samuel Locals blame Hawke's Bay Regional Council (HBRC) for not opening a channel in the Wairoa river bar earlier, so the deluge could flow out to sea more easily . Instead, the swollen river could not empty itself into the ocean quickly enough and smothered the southern part of town. "I've been here over 50 years in this house and never seen anything like it before, and it's scary as, I mean, I could put up with an earthquake, but I couldn't put up with that," Tuahine said. An independent review of the flood later found the regional council lacked a plan and did not listen to locals. One of the report's conclusions was that if the crest of the river bar had been lowered, then the flooding may not have been as bad. Photo: Nick Monro People were only evacuated in time because an official was woken by her baby . The nightmare of Tuahine and her family's narrow escape still lingers, and when it rains the memories come flooding back. "I get quite emotional just talking about it because, you know, it all just comes back and you don't know. Every time it rains, you think, 'Oh God, have they opened the bar?' Because you just don't want this to happen again. I don't wish it on anybody." Rain events make her nervous, because she did not trust that the regional council had learned from its mistakes. "I don't have a lot of faith in the regional council, I think they're just all talk. They obviously don't give a shit about us because we've got our mayor, who's been fighting for us all the way, and we really appreciate that." Marie Tuahine's house in the Wairoa flood of June 2024. Photo: Supplied HBRC told RNZ it understood the event would have had lasting effects on people, and was working hard to rebuild that trust. The council said it had a new river management plan in place, and was also looking at options to protect the south side of Wairoa, which could include a more permanent positioning of the river mouth. "HBRC would welcome Crown input on where funding might come from for such a multimillion-dollar proposal," it said in a statement. The area of North Clyde had a $70m flood protection project underway, after it flooded in Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023. However, Wairoa Mayor Craig Little wanted to also see protection for southern residents, and was hoping HBRC would build a groyne in the river to help guide it out. "So once we get that, then the people on this side, the south side, can actually know that the mouth is always open," he said. Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell and Wairoa mayor Craig Little giving an update on the situation in Wairoa in June 2024. Photo: RNZ / Calvin Samuel The mayor had written to HBRC, urging it not to be complacent. "We've still got a lot of work to do, don't think 'okay, that's behind us, we will move on now'. Everyone lives that every day in Wairoa. We've got to make sure it still stays up here so we never forget." Marie Tuahine's house in the Wairoa flood of June 2024. Photo: Supplied It was difficult for the town to move on when so many were still struggling to rebuild, with 83 homes yellow-stickered as many residents were uninsured and could not afford repairs. When RNZ visited Tuahine she was pleased to be back in her newly rebuilt home and was grateful she had insurance to cover the cost. However, her yard and driveway was still a mess from the flood, and the pensioner worried about how she would find the money to fix it. "Not only am I out of pocket, but the stress of it all - I'm trying to clean up on my own and not getting far. "A year on and I have a hell of a long way to go." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
13 hours ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
A year on from Wairoa floods, residents still struggling to rebuild their lives
It is a cold winter day in Wairoa, the sun is peeking through the clouds and although the mud and debris has long since been cleaned up, many homes remain empty. Their inhabitants are camping in temporary accommodation in driveways, paddocks and back yards. Eighty-three homes are still yellow stickered, many of those homeowners simply could not afford insurance, and so now do not have the money to repair their flooded houses. But for pensioner Kevin Buchanan, he was not insured when the Wairoa flood hit because he was in the final stages of finishing his house and was yet to get council consent. "It's been absolutely awful. We were just living here, minding our own business, not annoying anybody and all of a sudden our life was turned upside down and it put a huge financial strain on us." He is living in a portacom in the paddock with his family. It costs $225 a week and so what little is left over from his pension has been carefully scrimped and saved to repair the house bit by bit. Kevin Buchanan has been living with his family in a portacom since the flood. Photo: Nick Monro The walls have been re-insulated and re-lined, but he ground to a halt because the bathroom and kitchen were going to cost about $14,000 to fix. "We're trying to get on with our lives and yeah struggling because we couldn't see a way clear to get this done," he said. Kevin becomes emotional as he describes how the mayor Craig Little saw Kevin's situation and gifted him $10,000 from the mayoral relief fund . "So we've ordered the new kitchen and stuff for the bathroom, and hopefully in two to three months we'll be back in here again," he says with a relieved smile. But he is also angry at Hawkes Bay Regional Council (HBRC) - he says his property and those around it never flooded before and would have been fine last year if the council acted sooner and dug a channel through the river bar . The flooding at Kevin Buchanan's home one year ago. Photo: Supplied / Kevin Buchanan He said he was frustrated at the lack of support from HBRC. "They could have come to our assistance after flooding us and ruining our lives because we've lost over a year of our lives. We were really happy over there," said Kevin. HBRC told RNZ an independent review made multiple recommendations, all of which have been or are being acted on. It also said assistance has been offered. "The Council has given financial support. First it was $100,000 to the Wairoa Mayoral Fund to support flood relief, then $40,000 for rates support and $60,000 for under-floor insulation reinstatement for impacted houses," the council said in a statement. Heavy machinery caught in floodwater at the Wairoa River last year. Photo: Supplied / Siobhan Pryde Wairoa's flood recovery is far from over, mayor Craig Little says. "We're still struggling. There's nothing to celebrate, that's for sure. "I've been to quite a few people recently and... even the ones that were fully insured are still out of pocket 20k... you know it's not their fault and it's so unfair on them," he said. The mayoral relief fund still has money in it, and he is urging people who need help to ask for it. "I just want people to know that I'm not going to give up, I'm going to keep fighting." He has written to HBRC asking for more support for Wairoa, as he worries they are complacent about the flood recovery. "We've got to be careful - we can't just relax and think 'oh she's all good we don't worry anymore'. "The Wairoa people haven't forgotten what went on." Mayor Craig Little says there's no time for relaxing. Photo: Nick Monro HBRC chairperson Hinewai Ormsby said she responded to Little at the time and welcomed the opportunity for regional councillors to visit Wairoa. "HBRC feels for whanau still living with the aftermath of the flooding and we are committed to doing everything in our power to reduce the risk of future flooding. "We would welcome another opportunity to visit Wairoa and hear from residents and are waiting to hear from the mayor." For 84-year-old flood victim Irelle Lowe, it had been a challenging 12 months that began with her being rescued by the local vet and her horse Amber. Irelle Lowe being rescued on the back of the local vet's horse. Photo: supplied "She said 'we can't leave you here, we'll put you on the horse'. "We walked out carefully because the horses couldn't see where they were going. The water was up to our chest," she said. Once the floodwaters receded and Irelle went home, there was a yellow sticker on the door signalling extensive flood damage. She has been living in a caravan on her driveway until last month as she did not want to leave because her property kept being targeted by thieves. Since the flood she says it has been robbed seven times. Irelle Lowe, 84, had to be rescued from her home during the flood. Photo: Nick Monro "All the robbers kept coming here and I'd get the police here, twice in one night. One of them had a big dog," she said. Irelle's house was insured, and the repairs have just finished so it is now liveable again. "I wouldn't want to go through it again - it's too hard dealing with all the people," she said. Although, there are some good things to come out of the flood too. "A little kitten arrived in the garage after the flood, I kept it and called it 'flood'." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
