Kia Kaha Edgecumbe
Many staff worked tirelessly long hours as our organisation responded to the State of
Emergency in the Eastern Bay recently.
Staff worked within our Emergency Operations Centre, several were based at the Civil
Defence headquarters in Whakatāne and many more were on the ground in Edgecumbe both
in support and volunteer roles. Going forward in the recovery phase we continue to have staff
supporting the community.
Here in Checkup, some of the staff on the ground in Edgecumbe and nearby welfare centres
in that initial phase share their stories.
What three things would you
grab in a disaster?
Rachel Davis, Drug and Alcohol Counsellor,
Whakatāne was at her home in Edgecumbe when
the township flooded.
I heard a loud hydraulic sounding noise and
thought it was the recycling truck, a day early.
Then I saw a tsunami-like wave of water
flooding through the cul-de-sac alley way.
After several moments of shock, cellphone
in hand, I contacted the District Council to
request sand bags thinking it was surface
flooding from nearby fields and farms. Still on
the call, I became aware I was barely keeping
balance standing now in a swift current of
knee deep water.
It was eerie, I felt like I was in a movie, that this wasn’t happening
to me. I stood there watching firewood, garden ornaments,
children’s toys floating pass. Back inside I noticed my lounge was
filling with floodwater. I brashly told the Customer Service Officer
on the end of the phone to ‘Forget the ****** sandbags send Civil
Defence, our street is drowning, I think it’s the river”.
4
I realised I was going to have to walk my way out of the flood. At
this moment years of training and building a mindfulness lifestyle
really kicked in. With purposeful breathing, I kept calm, designed
an escape plan including a brief mental list of ‘what to do’ and
‘what to grab’.
I put the cat in her cage made her easy to transport. I threw
respiratory medicines, wallet, passports, some jewellery, bills (with
proof of address) and a change of clothes into a bag and carried
it on top of my head. I turned the power switch off and ran around
placing few things on top of beds, (thinking surely the flood won’t
get that high).
It was an intense surreal moment. I’m 5ft4 ½, I was slowly wading
up to my neck in muddy floodwater, latching on from fence post
to fence post, it was a swift current. I was getting hit from behind
by floating debris, including pet animals. I thought where is
everyone? Aside from my partner, I couldn’t hear or see anyone. I
felt abandoned.
Drying off on the steps of Whakatāne Memorial Hall, reality started
sinking in. I had just lost every ‘thing’, however, I also felt a sense
of relief knowing that I still had everything I needed and things
are replaceable. At that point I looked forward in hope of being
pleasantly surprised in the event of salvaging anything.
Above right: Inside Rachel's home post flood.