An Eskdale resident who outlasted Cyclone Gabrielle and its aftermath says the remaining homes in the valley are now choking on dust whipped up by dry spring winds.
Lynn Noanoa said springtime was no longer the blossom season in Eskdale, but the dust one.
Each year, since Cyclone Gabrielle, Noanoa said she had battled strong westerlies that whip up dry silt from surrounding farmland, coating her Pōhutukawa Drive home and leaving her and her husband, Art, struggling to breathe.
“Whenever there’s a wind, it lifts the soil up and just brings it to us ... and add pollen to that and we just get it smack in the face. It’s very strong,” Noanoa told Hawke’s Bay Today.
“Everything in the house is covered with a fine silt. My husband’s asthma plays up, the dog’s eyes get irritated, and we can’t leave the windows or doors open at all.
“If we’re wanting to do anything outside when it’s windy, we wear masks.”
Noanoa said weekends outdoors were often impossible at this time of year.
“We usually have to go somewhere else away from home. Otherwise, it’s just dust in your mouth, your ears, everywhere. It’s terrible.”
She says farmland in the area is the biggest issue, pointing to recently tilled paddocks leased to McCain Foods for pea crops.
“Maybe they could get the big water sprinklers on to it because peas need water to grow, so I don’t think it’s an extra added expense. Just to keep it watered down until there’s growth on the land because once the peas grow, it won’t be so bad,” Noanoa said.
She says the couple don’t want to leave the home they rebuilt after Gabrielle, but they want practical solutions.
“It’s nobody’s fault. No one can control the wind ... But it needs to be managed,” Noanoa says.
She came to Hawke’s Bay “to retire in paradise”, yet each spring she finds herself unable to live “normally”.
“We love living in here, apart from this time of the year.”
McCain director of sustainability Mark Roberts said the company had leased land in Esk Valley and peas were planted as a cover crop to restore cyclone-damaged soils.
“With strong winds and dry conditions, dust and wind erosion are concerns in the area. As the pea plants emerge and establish ground cover, they will help anchor the soil, reducing dust and further erosion risks,” Roberts said.
Bryony Lovatt, a North Shore Rd resident for 30 years, said while winds have always swept through the valley, the dust issue had grown dramatically since Cyclone Gabrielle.
“The first year we understood, with all the silt being moved,” she said.
“But the last two years, especially this year with the paddocks being ploughed up, it’s just ridiculous. There is sand in everything, and you can’t even drive along the road or go out walking. It’s a huge sandstorm.”
Lovatt said the constant grit coating her decks and clogging her washing was not just “annoying”, but costly.
“We haven’t put washing on the line for the last three weeks. We’ve had to put it in the dryer because it just gets covered, so of course, [we’re] using more power.”
She has complained to Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC), which had passed her complaint to the pollution team for follow-up.
A HBRC spokesperson said since 2023, the council’s Pollution Response team had recorded 113 formal complaints about dust, and silt clean-up work was completed by late 2024, and silt sites by June 2025.
“None of the dust is due to these contractors’ efforts in relation to these operations.”
July and August rainfall through much of Hawke’s Bay was lower than normal, according to HBRC’s monthly environmental reports.
On the Heretaunga Plains further south of the valley, rainfall was just 37% of average, and soil moisture was now below normal, climate scientist Nithin Bala Murali said in the report.
With spring also marking the start of pollen season, Health NZ said the combination of the two could aggravate respiratory issues.
Dr Matt Radford, Health NZ’s medical officer of health in Hawke’s Bay, said no recent silt-related dust concerns had been reported, but advised residents to take precautions.
“Anyone experiencing reactions to pollen or dust should limit outdoor exposure on windy days, shower after being outside, and wear a well-fitting mask if working in dusty areas,” Radford said.
“If symptoms persist or worsen, contact your healthcare provider ... or call Healthline on 0800 611 116.”
Allergy NZ chief executive Mark Dixon says Hawke’s Bay’s wide variety of flora increases the risk of airborne allergies at this time of year.
He advised households to keep homes dry with air systems fitted with HEPA filters, avoid gas heaters, vacuum regularly with HEPA-equipped cleaners, opt for hard flooring over carpets or rugs, and use fine mesh dust covers on bedding.