Flooding from Cyclone Gabrielle was bad enough, but getting hit a second time has left Nuhaka resident Rose Karangaroa frustrated.
Rose has lived at her Kaihue Street home for nearly 50 years and in that time had one minor flooding event 20 years ago.
Cyclone Gabrielle saw half a metre of water gush through her carport, deck and shed, but fortunately, not quite into her home. “In Cyclone Gabrielle, my concern was for Wairoa. Even though Nuhaka flooded, we weren’t as bad as they were in town. But this second round of flooding in early November was different, it came to the point where we needed help too.”
Rose had the same flooding all over again, including damaging items that had been replaced from the Cyclone Gabrielle event. A priority now is removing the underfloor insulation from her house so the floor can be checked to ensure it is not damaged or holding moisture and dampness.
In Cyclone Gabrielle, the water stayed under Rose’s home for three days, and in the end, two local farmers came to the rescue using pumps to pump the water from under the house, across the road and out to the estuary. “They worked 24/7 to keep the pumps going, they were our saviour, alongside the local digger driver who helped us out too.”
The early November heavy rainfall event caused significant damage in the Whakaki, Nuhaka and Mahia areas, with 19 properties sustaining damage and receiving Rapid Building Assessment placards.
Drainage and flooding issues in the Nuhaka village prompted a community meeting arranged by the Wairoa District Council and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council with both authorities committed to finding solutions.
In Rose’s case, she believes the flooding was a culmination of heavy rain and bad drainage. While some drainage repair work has since been carried out, Rose says she won’t be happy until she sees that much rain fall again and there is no flooding.
Rose is appreciative that the authorities responsible for the drains are hopefully listening to the local knowledge and taking a collaborative approach to improve the drainage in the village.
Rose has lived at her Kaihue Street home for nearly 50 years and in that time had one minor flooding event 20 years ago.
Cyclone Gabrielle saw half a metre of water gush through her carport, deck and shed, but fortunately, not quite into her home. “In Cyclone Gabrielle, my concern was for Wairoa. Even though Nuhaka flooded, we weren’t as bad as they were in town. But this second round of flooding in early November was different, it came to the point where we needed help too.”
Rose had the same flooding all over again, including damaging items that had been replaced from the Cyclone Gabrielle event. A priority now is removing the underfloor insulation from her house so the floor can be checked to ensure it is not damaged or holding moisture and dampness.
In Cyclone Gabrielle, the water stayed under Rose’s home for three days, and in the end, two local farmers came to the rescue using pumps to pump the water from under the house, across the road and out to the estuary. “They worked 24/7 to keep the pumps going, they were our saviour, alongside the local digger driver who helped us out too.”
The early November heavy rainfall event caused significant damage in the Whakaki, Nuhaka and Mahia areas, with 19 properties sustaining damage and receiving Rapid Building Assessment placards.
Drainage and flooding issues in the Nuhaka village prompted a community meeting arranged by the Wairoa District Council and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council with both authorities committed to finding solutions.
In Rose’s case, she believes the flooding was a culmination of heavy rain and bad drainage. While some drainage repair work has since been carried out, Rose says she won’t be happy until she sees that much rain fall again and there is no flooding.
Rose is appreciative that the authorities responsible for the drains are hopefully listening to the local knowledge and taking a collaborative approach to improve the drainage in the village.
Rose Karangaroa and daughter Roz outside their Nuhaka home which has flooded twice this year.