Michele Murphy and Mikey Nissen are taking no chances with their new build, which will sit 1.5 metres higher than their original Airport Road house.
Their home of 16 years was written off due to flood damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. The hardworking couple still have a long road to recovery but aim to be in their new house early in the new year.
February 14 started as a typical day for Michele, assistant branch manager of Farmlands, and Mikey, a beekeeper for Te Kapu Apiaries.
The couple left for work just after 7am, and at that stage, there was 75mm in the rain gauge and just a few puddles in their surrounding paddocks. Within half an hour the flood waters were rising significantly and ended up flowing through their house.
Michele said she got to work and couldn’t get into the building because the power was off. “So, I headed home, and in the 20 minutes that I was gone, the water had risen so quickly it was waist-deep, and rescuing the Mahia Hunt Club hounds meant swimming them out.”
Mikey’s story was the same. He headed to Frasertown to start his workday and could see the river raging and coming in like waves. “By the time I got back, I could only drive to the QRS corner of Kaimoana Road, and the water was waist deep.”
Michele said they lost everything from their property except what was on the walls. “Water came up through the plumbing and just filled the house. Our house is 60cm off the ground, and the water went inside and about 20cm up the walls. We had gear from the sheds and outside the house floating through the neighbouring paddocks.
“At the beginning, we didn’t take in how life-changing it would be. We thought we would just have a massive clean-up, not 10 months without a home.”
Michele and Mikey initially stayed with family and then in a bed and breakfast where they are grateful to have had their own space.
“Our insurance worked quickly, and within three months, we knew the house was going to be written off as the cost to repair it was more than it was insured for.”
Rather than pulling the house down, their home will be relocated to a local section.
Michele and Mikey have designed their new home, which will be considerably higher off the ground and sit on the same site as their existing house.
“Everything is in motion. There is still a lot of work to be done outside, but we can’t wait to be in our own home again.”
Michele and Mikey are grateful for the support they have received from their families and workplaces, as well as assistance from Taskforce Green, fencing materials from the Rapid Relief Team, support from the Wairoa Mayoral and Hawke’s Bay Relief funds, plus local support with silt removal and cleaning their septic tank.
“There are a lot of learnings to come out of this event, and I think we will all be more prepared for if there is a next time. It has been a tough time, especially for those people on the North Clyde side of town.”
Their home of 16 years was written off due to flood damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. The hardworking couple still have a long road to recovery but aim to be in their new house early in the new year.
February 14 started as a typical day for Michele, assistant branch manager of Farmlands, and Mikey, a beekeeper for Te Kapu Apiaries.
The couple left for work just after 7am, and at that stage, there was 75mm in the rain gauge and just a few puddles in their surrounding paddocks. Within half an hour the flood waters were rising significantly and ended up flowing through their house.
Michele said she got to work and couldn’t get into the building because the power was off. “So, I headed home, and in the 20 minutes that I was gone, the water had risen so quickly it was waist-deep, and rescuing the Mahia Hunt Club hounds meant swimming them out.”
Mikey’s story was the same. He headed to Frasertown to start his workday and could see the river raging and coming in like waves. “By the time I got back, I could only drive to the QRS corner of Kaimoana Road, and the water was waist deep.”
Michele said they lost everything from their property except what was on the walls. “Water came up through the plumbing and just filled the house. Our house is 60cm off the ground, and the water went inside and about 20cm up the walls. We had gear from the sheds and outside the house floating through the neighbouring paddocks.
“At the beginning, we didn’t take in how life-changing it would be. We thought we would just have a massive clean-up, not 10 months without a home.”
Michele and Mikey initially stayed with family and then in a bed and breakfast where they are grateful to have had their own space.
“Our insurance worked quickly, and within three months, we knew the house was going to be written off as the cost to repair it was more than it was insured for.”
Rather than pulling the house down, their home will be relocated to a local section.
Michele and Mikey have designed their new home, which will be considerably higher off the ground and sit on the same site as their existing house.
“Everything is in motion. There is still a lot of work to be done outside, but we can’t wait to be in our own home again.”
Michele and Mikey are grateful for the support they have received from their families and workplaces, as well as assistance from Taskforce Green, fencing materials from the Rapid Relief Team, support from the Wairoa Mayoral and Hawke’s Bay Relief funds, plus local support with silt removal and cleaning their septic tank.
“There are a lot of learnings to come out of this event, and I think we will all be more prepared for if there is a next time. It has been a tough time, especially for those people on the North Clyde side of town.”
Michele Murphy and Mikey Nissen on the steps of their flooded Airport Road home which will soon be replaced with their new home.