The response to Edgecumbe's divesting flood has now officially moved into a recovery phase.
An Emergency Operations Centre which was set up in response to the April 6 flood wound up yesterday and volunteers who helped restore Edgecumbe homes and streets were thanked with a feast for their work.
Whakatane District Council local controller Paula Chapman said as part of this transition a blessing for the town would be held in Edgecumbe on Wednesday morning.
"Those impacted the flooding include boarders, businesses, families and farmers. All of their needs are very different," she said.
"Our welfare team, who work with a number of agencies to co-ordinate the support, have already completed more than 2100 needs assessments so far."