Cyclone Gabrielle Archives

Reading the room

Posted by Denis O'Reilly | Mar 19, 2023 | Comment & Analysis

“I’m not sure that the room is anything like the one being described. At Waiohiki, I saw New Zealand citizens of many races using the marae as a place of refuge. The rain fell on us all.” — Denis O’Reilly.

The obligation of citizenship

Posted by Denis O'Reilly | Mar 12, 2023 | Reflections

What’s the census got to do with our current needs? “Everything! Many of our whānau are not only displaced but they are resistant.” — Denis O’Reilly.

Cyclone Gabrielle: Now is the time for mana motuhake

Posted by Lillian Te Hau-Ward | Feb 19, 2023 | PIJF, Reflections

“When I think about whether we can sustain a future here, I know we just have to, because a lot of our whānau have got nowhere else to go.” — Lillian Te Hau-Ward, who leads the local response and Civil Defence team in Tokomaru Bay.

Cyclone Gabrielle: ‘We were a united nation’

Posted by Denis O'Reilly | Feb 19, 2023 | Reflections

“We were caring for each other, sharing what we had, improvising meals without access to electricity, making sure the young ones felt safe even after traumatic experiences.” — Denis O’Reilly, on the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle on his community in Napier.