As floodwaters ripped through the Hawke’s Bay settlement of Ōmahu on February 14, all that resident Dayna Nuku could think about was keeping her tamariki safe.
It’s what drove the mother-of-five to gather her family into their Isuzu Hiab truck and make the harrowing trip through the flash floods and over the Ngāruroro River bridge to safety.
“I remember the whole thing. All I was worried about was my kids,” she told Hawke’s Bay Today.
“The main thing I was trying to think about was how we were going to get out and how we were going to keep the kids calm.”
Like many others in the area in the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, Nuku’s house was red-stickered, and the small community suffered extensive physical and structural damage.
Six months later, the broken Isuzu Hiab remains at the house, a living relic of the heroism, bravery and sacrifice shown during the escape.
“It ended up flooding. As soon as we got over the bridge he pulled to the side and it slowly died out,” Nuku said.
“We got it back home the next day and it’s been sitting there ever since.”
A lot has changed in six months, and Nuku said she often reflects on the incredible generosity and community spirit she’s seen in the aftermath.
Nuku said her tamariki were doing well but there were still times when fears were re-lived.
“They’re doing good, they’re doing really good. There was a point after where they were, I’m assuming, a bit traumatised, as they would cry every time it started to rain and say, ‘I need to go back to Ōmahu and get my nan and pappy out’.”
There’s also a beacon of hope on the horizon, with recent government and council rulings meaning they are allowed to rebuild on their land.
“We can now build back there,” Nuku said.
But there are still many logistical challenges ahead.
“It’s kind of difficult for us because we had a home on my parents’ property that we were going to move to our land, but we didn’t have home insurance and our home got red-stickered, so we are just on the drawing board at the moment,” Nuku said.
She said there had been “heaps of help” through both the council and the local marae.
“The marae has been keeping us informed that we might be able to put cabins out there soon so we’re a bit closer to our whenua.”
Despite the fact that the cyclone caused many people to have to leave the settlement, Nuku said she felt it had connected people.
“If anything, I feel like the flood has brought our community closer together. Everyone is getting along well and helping one another.
“And it’s not just people from Ōmahu. People from outside will even come and help.”
Nuku was thankful to friends and family, but also the Hawke’s Bay and wider community.
“We’ve had people donate stuff from as far as Auckland and Gisborne. We even got this bassinet sent to us from a lady, who gave it to someone who dropped it off to us, and she wrote this beautiful letter explaining why her kids didn’t need it anymore and that she couldn’t think of a better family to give it to.
“I wouldn’t know how to pay it back, but I can try and pay it forward.”
Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in late January. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.