And on Monday, February 13, Gabrielle was back on page 1 under the headline “Braced for impact” as a state of emergency was declared in the district and a page 3 story by long-time journalist Roger Handford carried the intro “The cyclone has landed”.
The next day, after a night that changed the course of the region’s history, the sun rose to an eerie stillness throughout the city and the first signs of Gabrielle’s impact were revealed.
There was no Herald that day. No power, no communication meant little could be done on a production level for many including the newspaper.
A day later, The Herald was able to put out a 20-page, predominantly pictorial edition delivered to households throughout Gisborne, thanks to the support of Gisborne District Council and selfless volunteers — support that was to become part and parcel of the region’s recovery.
The front page on that edition read “Gabrielle’s Wrath” and over the next six weeks, the cyclone was a page 1 staple as The Herald went about covering all aspects of what for so many was a life-changing event.
The front-page headlines in the immediate aftermath often came from the mouths of victims — blunt, poignant, heartbreaking.
“What’s the point in tears? They only make things wetter.”
“You just carry on.”
“Like a silent killer.”
“Utter devastation.”
Recovery and resilience soon became the catchcry as humans did what humans do in the wake of disaster . . . bounce back.
“Road to recovery”, “On the improve”, “Inquiry welcomed”, “Where to from here?”, “Repair bill in the billions”.
March 27, 2023, was the first front page of The Herald that did not relate to Gabrielle.
That didn’t last long. A day to be exact.
A year later, the recovery continues from a cyclone whose French name is translated as “God is my strength”
That has no doubt been the case for some while strength for others has come from within and the support of whānau, friends and many support networks as they look to the future with a word far removed from that fateful February 13-14 . . . “hope”.
