Decimated properties, roads ‘a mess’, and farming equipment washing down a raging river.
As one Wai-iti resident described Friday’s second severe weather bout in a fortnight, “it’s been monumental” as the settlement and the Tasman District now grapples with a formidable clean-up.
Jenna Hart, who lives near the Wai-iti Domain, saw nature’s thuggery unfold with the Wai-iti River rising to “200 metres wide”, a sense of unease for many in the rural community.
“It flows pretty quickly at times, but it was absolutely massive. We’ve been told that up by Quail Valley, it’s blown its banks up there, and I feel like it’s just taken probably everything in its wake,” she says.
“We were concerned that the trees that were dropped in the hills behind us may end up in the Wai-iti River, and that could have flooded the plain that our house is on a lot easier.
“We’ve had a lot of floods out here, but we have never seen the Wai-iti River rise that quick, and as soon as it started lifting, that’s when we had a lot of offers from people around the area if we needed a place to stay, because we couldn’t get past Belgrove.”
Jenna commended the neighbourhood aid amid the floods, from check-ups to offers of shelter should residents need to evacuate.
“As soon as the road started flooding, everyone sort of came out of their rural driveways with not very much to do, other than review all of the flooding and everyone sort of checked in on each other,” she says.
“We had a lot of fellow farmers come down and check on the community… and the fact that out here we all lean on each other is really appreciated.”
Jenna says the Wai-iti resilience would also be critical in the months ahead.
“I could not begin to imagine what my farming neighbour has lost. We watched one of the spray trailers wash down the river… and there is so much stuff that has possibly washed away, I could not begin to imagine what other people have been losing out here,” she says.
“Even though things might feel very hard, it is nice to know that the community is definitely reaching out to each other or getting assistance for the clean-up.
“It’s going to take a long time for people to recoup… but we will bounce back okay.”
