Over a year on from Cyclone Gabrielle, Wairoa residents have been hit with another dramatic flood.
Wairoa Mayor Craig Little says people are sick of the rain.
“There’s a lot of stress on people.
“It hasn’t stopped since Cyclone Gabrielle or six months before Cyclone Gabrielle - it just rains, rains and rains.”
Wairoa declared a state of local emergency following significant rainfall yesterday, with the township to remain there for the time being, Little says.
“[The local state of emergency is] still in place today, so we’ve just gotta work out when we want to take that off.
“Because for me, when you’re in a state of emergency, that’s a pretty important mode to be in - we don’t want to use it longer than we need it.”
But with the rain expected to ease up, Little says the community is hopeful it can head into recovery mode.
Meanwhile, Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell paid a visit to Hawke’s Bay today, following the government’s $300,000 contribution to the mayoral relief funds.
“That’s been great for us,”Little says.
“He’s promised us that we won’t be alone. He’s also said, ‘Please don’t think there’s no hope for Wairoa’”.
Although $100,000 of this funding will go towards Wairoa’s recovery, Little says more is required to get the community back on its feet.
“Roading [is] going to be our biggest one because a lot of the work we did after Gabrielle is getting undone.”
He also highlights the emotional impact that these weather events have on residents.
“A lot of these people have lost a lot of their livelihood, so they’re gonna be under a lot of mental stress.
“We’ve gotta have services that are wrapped around these people, because I’d be stressed out to the max if that were me.”
About 100 households are said to have been evacuated on Wednesday, taking refuge at at Taihoa Marae, Hinemihi Marae and the War Memorial Hall.
Many residents are still in the process of having their properties assessed for safety - Little says no red stickers have been issued yet.
When asked about the community’s path to recovery, the mayor said, “We’ll get there - we’re broke but we’re not broken and we need money from the government.”
Wairoa’s mayoral relief fund is back - an initiative which raised $2 million after Cyclone Gabrielle. Little also says they have a Give A Little page to go towards relief funds.
“Every dollar you put in goes straight to the people.”
