Cyclone Gabrielle victim Mercia Paaymans, whose property was flooded, supports the Red Cross Annual Appeal this month. Photo / Red Cross
Cyclone Gabrielle victim Mercia Paaymans, whose property was flooded, supports the Red Cross Annual Appeal this month. Photo / Red Cross
The floodwaters of Cyclone Gabrielle are long gone - but the importance of charity doesn’t fade.
Neither do memories. It makes The New Zealand Red Cross’s annual appeal a tricky line for it to walk in Hawke’s Bay.
Red Cross faced criticism in some quarters in the region for itshandling of the $28.8m raised by Kiwis through the NZ Disaster Fund.
“Too slow,” was a common refrain on social media.
All of the $28.8m raised through the fund to support Cyclone Gabrielle victims was fully committed within a year of the disaster, so that refrain may have been a little harsh.
Against that backdrop is Mercia Paaymans, who lives on the river side of Korokipo Rd between Taradale and Fernhill.
She says Red Cross was the only official organisation to physically reach her family after the floodwaters tore through their property.
Her family woke the morning Cyclone Gabrielle hit after a night of storms, they initially thought they had escaped the worst.
“We got up at 6am and there were big puddles of water, but it didn’t look like anything serious,” she told Hawke’s Bay Today.
“We took our ute down, going towards a golf course and we couldn’t because that was underwater. We didn’t expect that where we live.”
Floodwaters cover land near Mercia Paaymans’ property between Taradale and Fernhill during Cyclone Gabrielle.
The family fled with their black labrador Bruce, spent the night with strangers on higher ground, and returned to find 1.8 metres of water had gone through their home.
“We lost everything,” Paaymans said.
“We had 20 vehicles on the property because my son runs a business related to it, and everything was underwater.
“Everything that we’ve worked for was destroyed.”
A kitchen drawer filled with floodwater inside Mercia Paaymans' home, showing how high the water rose during Cyclone Gabrielle.
With no power, no water and little understanding of what help was available, the family began the clean-up alone.
Then Red Cross arrived.
“They were the only entity who came down our drive,” Paaymans said.
“No one else. No one from the council, no one from Civil Defence. They were the only ones.”
She said Red Cross gave the family practical information about where and how to get help, including food, clothing, clean water, dog food and support services at local hubs.
“They gave us the tools to help ourselves,” she said.
“When you’re a victim, you feel very powerless. That was actually really validating.
“I understand that other people didn’t feel they got the help they needed, but for us, they were the only entity who came and helped us.”
Inside Mercia Paaymans’ home after Cyclone Gabrielle floodwaters swept through the property.
A Red Cross spokesperson said its teams were also among the first organisations to reach some isolated communities after Cyclone Gabrielle.
“Funding was also directed toward longer-term resilience initiatives, helping communities strengthen their preparedness for future emergencies.”
The charity’s Annual Appeal raises funds to support emergency response and humanitarian programmes across the country. Photo / Red Cross
Red Cross said this year’s appeal aims to raise funds to support disaster response and humanitarian work in NZ and worldwide.
“Donations help ensure New Zealand Red Cross is ready before disasters happen, able to respond when they occur, and able to support communities through recovery.”
