Anxiety high among Hawke’s Bay residents as region faces heavy rain

Anxiety about heavy rain among Hawke's Bay residents is heightened after a deluge during Cyclone Gabrielle last year led to destructive floodwaters sweeping the region. Photo / Nick Monro

By Lauren Crimp, RNZ

Anxiety is rising amid heavy rain in Hawke’s Bay, with one counselling service reporting the number of people seeking help doubled in a day.

The region has been under a heavy rain warning since Tuesday, and it was set to continue in northern Hawke’s Bay until 10pm on Thursday.

Anxiety was heightened because a deluge during Cyclone Gabrielle last year sent floodwaters rushing through homes across the region, leaving people stranded on rooftops, destroying properties and sweeping eight people to their deaths.

The current weather had brought back worries about the worst happening again and doubled inquiries to the Napier Family Centre’s website and reception, its chief executive Kerry Henderson said.

“Particularly when the surface flooding starts on the road, is it going to carry on, are the drains going to work? There’s definitely more of that conversation than there was two years ago,” she said.

“We’re anticipating we will see more people reaching out for support over the coming days.”

The rain used to keep people away from their appointments – but now it drove them to seek help, Henderson said.

Since Cyclone Gabrielle, demand for free counselling had increased further north in Wairoa and Napier Family Centre now had staff there two days a week to help those in need, she said.

“Our counsellor that’s based in Wairoa said you can actually feel the anxiety, people are looking at the rivers, the rivers are high, and the road closures up there have added to the levels of anxiety.

“It’s been interesting for our counsellor actually having been there while it is raining, to feel the tension and anxieties in the air.”

How to ease rain anxiety

Centre staff visited a local primary school on Tuesday to help with rain anxiety, which was a particular problem for tamariki, Henderson said.

“It’s important to validate the feelings, and to acknowledge that, but we’re also encouraging the power of distraction.”

Sometimes thinking too much about a problem can make it worse, she said.

“Encourage your child to focus on positive things.”

Self-soothing techniques also worked well for children and adults, Henderson said.

“You can gently rub or pull on your ears, make a low humming sound, gentle chest pats or butterfly taps, where you cross your arms against your chest and tap each shoulder, those techniques can work really well.

“The actions stimulate the body’s natural rest and digestive system, and it provides a calming effect almost instantly.”