Julie Amato describes the Cyclone Gabrielle flooding on Crarer Street as like the tide coming in.
“February 14 was a lovely sunny morning, and I heard someone yelling, ‘The river is coming’. I went to the front of our house to look, and the water was about four houses away and coming up the road. It was like a beach wave. At first, I was fascinated and just stood there watching it.”
Once the 75-year-old had gathered her thoughts, she alerted her husband Manu, 80, and the couple were able to drive away safely.
Eventually, they were evacuated to Taihoa Marae, but only after Manu had returned to their house to collect their dog Pai, who had climbed onto a table, and then be carted out in the bucket of a rescue tractor.
Julie says that at Taihoa, you just saw people wandering in, and they had nothing but the wet clothes they were standing in.
“By the time we were able to get back to our home, there was just mud everywhere at about table height.”
The couple lived in the same house during Cyclone Bola in 1988 and said that back then, the flooded waters just lapped at the top step of their home and didn’t go inside.
The Amatos have no insurance. They were insured, but three years ago, their company said they wouldn’t insure them anymore because of damage caused to the house by the leaking roof. Later, the couple discovered a leaking roof had not caused the ceiling damage, but a leaking hot water cylinder - but they were no longer insured by then.
The couple has raised their family in their Crarer Street home, having bought the railway house during Manu’s 30-year career with the railways. They lost most of their household belongings but did manage to save some photos and a few things that were up high. Julie lost some of her mother’s precious items, which she said was hard. “Now we have to start again, but we are not alone.”
Manu and Julie are very determined to stay in their solid rimu house. “This is our home, it’s where we brought our children up. Nobody around here wants to move, it’s where our memories are. We are looking forward to how the house could look, it might end up better.
They sleep in a pod on their section, cooking in their shed and washing the dishes in the lean-to. “It is harder at our age, but our age has also meant that we were brought up the old way, so we can handle it.”
Julie says that sometimes she goes into their home and has a good cry. “Then I tell myself, ‘Come on Julie’, and then I’m ok again. Our kids come and go, and they bring laughter, which helps.”
The couple just wants to get back into their home and are hopeful Tātau Tātau o te Wairoa will be able to help. “We are trying to remain positive that we may be back in our house for Christmas.”
Manu and Julie said their neighbours have looked after them along with different providers, the marae and people who have just been checking in on them.
The couple said it has been great to see the crews of young people removing silt from under homes and the community coming together and helping each other.
“February 14 was a lovely sunny morning, and I heard someone yelling, ‘The river is coming’. I went to the front of our house to look, and the water was about four houses away and coming up the road. It was like a beach wave. At first, I was fascinated and just stood there watching it.”
Once the 75-year-old had gathered her thoughts, she alerted her husband Manu, 80, and the couple were able to drive away safely.
Eventually, they were evacuated to Taihoa Marae, but only after Manu had returned to their house to collect their dog Pai, who had climbed onto a table, and then be carted out in the bucket of a rescue tractor.
Julie says that at Taihoa, you just saw people wandering in, and they had nothing but the wet clothes they were standing in.
“By the time we were able to get back to our home, there was just mud everywhere at about table height.”
The couple lived in the same house during Cyclone Bola in 1988 and said that back then, the flooded waters just lapped at the top step of their home and didn’t go inside.
The Amatos have no insurance. They were insured, but three years ago, their company said they wouldn’t insure them anymore because of damage caused to the house by the leaking roof. Later, the couple discovered a leaking roof had not caused the ceiling damage, but a leaking hot water cylinder - but they were no longer insured by then.
The couple has raised their family in their Crarer Street home, having bought the railway house during Manu’s 30-year career with the railways. They lost most of their household belongings but did manage to save some photos and a few things that were up high. Julie lost some of her mother’s precious items, which she said was hard. “Now we have to start again, but we are not alone.”
Manu and Julie are very determined to stay in their solid rimu house. “This is our home, it’s where we brought our children up. Nobody around here wants to move, it’s where our memories are. We are looking forward to how the house could look, it might end up better.
They sleep in a pod on their section, cooking in their shed and washing the dishes in the lean-to. “It is harder at our age, but our age has also meant that we were brought up the old way, so we can handle it.”
Julie says that sometimes she goes into their home and has a good cry. “Then I tell myself, ‘Come on Julie’, and then I’m ok again. Our kids come and go, and they bring laughter, which helps.”
The couple just wants to get back into their home and are hopeful Tātau Tātau o te Wairoa will be able to help. “We are trying to remain positive that we may be back in our house for Christmas.”
Manu and Julie said their neighbours have looked after them along with different providers, the marae and people who have just been checking in on them.
The couple said it has been great to see the crews of young people removing silt from under homes and the community coming together and helping each other.
Sleeping in a pod, cooking in their shed and washing the dishes in the lean-to is the new normal for Crarer Street flood victims Manu and Julie Amato.