Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle 2023 New Zealand Clean-up

In February this year, Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle caused widespread damaged across New Zealand, which was already drenched from TC Hale a few weeks earlier in January 2023. During the past weeks, winter rain and storms has brought more heavy rain to damaged areas of Hawkes Bay, Gisborne and Wairoa with more flooding, road closures and a damaged bridge on SH 50.

In April I visited New Zealand and flying into Napier the view of the silted rivers and flood effected areas could be seen from the view above and during our stay in the bay, we saw the broken train bridge, closed roads, flood damaged vehicles on the roadsides and homes still red stickered, no longer fit to live in.

I walked the roads where our family live, where neighbours were still digging out the flood mud and silt that washed through their homes and properties, the nightmare must feel never ending as they attempt to recover some normality. Many trees were also blown down during the cyclone and the Havelock North cemetery lost trees, one had even fallen around our family’s graves.

The Napier coastal area had trees washed ashore, and I can imagine how many trees must be out at sea after being washed down the rivers into the ocean, these logs must be dangerous for shipping.

Now five months later, there are still many families not able to return to their homes, others have had their homes gutted and awaiting builders and tradies to rebuild and make their homes liveable. With community support they have made it through the worst floods in many years, and now each time another weather storm is forecast, they hope the repaired river flood banks will hold and the communities stay safe.

Many farms and orchards, vineyards and seasonal crops were damaged, and hundreds of volunteers assisted with digging out silt, removing dead animals, emptying homes, and cleaning up, hoping to help in anyway they could, those who lost so much, with water levels up to their roofs.

In past months roadways have re-opened, SH 5 Napier to Taupo, opened at Easter, and SH 2, Napier to Wairoa took longer as bailey bridges were organised and major slips repaired. The work continues to repair the continuous potholes which keep forming. Here on Norfolk Island, we can sure relate to potholes, especially after heavy rain.

Norfolk Island residents were very lucky to get off reasonably light as TC Gabrielle crossed our remote island as Cat 2 on 11 and 12 February 2023. There were power outages, trees down, rocks up at Cascade Pier and the Philip Island fisherman’s hut was demolished by ocean swells and high winds, whipped up by the cyclone. Thankfully, with community fundraising and many helpers, the fisherman’s hut will be rebuilt.

The New Zealand communities impacted from TC Gabrielle are also still helping each other, fingers crossed insurance companies and government departments are assisting those who lived through the disaster and now need to get back into their homes and put their lives back together. As this is where my family lives, where I grew up, I feel the heart ache of the devastation.

During my time in Hawkes Bay, I did not visit the worst areas as the roads were closed, but my daughter has recently been to some of the countryside communities, and she said it is shocking how much damage is still visible. Here are a few photos I took in Hawkes Bay, Napier, Awatoto, Pakowhai, Havelock North, the flight view from above, of these areas and of the Esk Valley, during my April 2023 visit. Thank you to those who shared images on social media earlier this year of the flood damage in Hawkes Bay. I have also collaged a few of these photos from February to compare the damage and clean up in April 2023.

Betty Matthews

June 2023