Cyclone Cindy blew through Wanganui over the weekend, bringing with it hundreds of Red Cross volunteers.
Cyclone Cindy was the scenario for the Red Cross's disaster exercise, which saw volunteers from throughout the North Island, as well as staff from the police, Fire Service, Civil Defence, and St John, descend on Wanganui.
The exercise began on Friday and finished yesterday around 4pm. It involved 40 different disaster "scenes", including rescues, evacuations and manning of welfare centres.
Co-organiser Mike Carson said the exercise was based on the severe storms of 2004 that hit the lower North Island.
He said the Red Cross held an annual North Island and South Island exercise every year, although this one was bigger than the usual annual exercise.