Recovery efforts are officially underway across the Eastern Bay of Plenty following the impact of Cyclone Vaianu.
While mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted, residents in Tāneatua and Te Teko spent Monday assessing structural damage and beginning the manual task of clearing debris.
Cyclone Vaianu lashed the Whakatāne district with unprecedented intensity, leaving a trail of coastal erosion, power outages, and significant horticultural loss in its wake.
In the Eastern Bay, the storm’s trajectory saw it funnelling through the ranges, resulting in localised wind gusts that levelled decades-old trees and compromised rural infrastructure.
Resilience of locals
In Tāneatua, Moerangi Black and her whānau are managing damage to their fishing shed, which suffered shattered windows and impact from fallen trees.
After losing power for six hours overnight, she says the whānau used the time to reconnect, viewing the aftermath as an opportunity for learning.
“Ka aroha kē, ka aroha i runga i te āhuatanga, i te kaha rongo i ngā whakawhiu a Tāwhirimātea, kua haruru mai ngā rākau, kua hinga he rākau, kua haruru mai anō, kua hinga anō he rākau”, Black says.
The fallen timber will now be repurposed as wāhia (firewood) for the whānau.
Having been previously displaced during the major floods of 2017, the family is familiar with the challenges of environmental recovery.
Nearby, Nanny Helen Collier was among those who endured a night without electricity as high winds uprooted trees across the settlement.
Despite the conditions, a boundary fence on her property, constructed a year ago by her late husband, remained standing.
“Inapō, ko te mea nui i mataku au ko te karawhiuwhiu o te hau. I whatāretare tonu mai au i taku wini ki waho.”
She relied on karakia to navigate the peak of the storm. “I te āhua pai ahau, nā te mea i uru katoa mai ērā whakaaro ki ahau mō te karakia.”
In Te Teko, the cyclone caused significant structural failure on rural blocks. On the farm of Te Hura Maaka-Marks, a large “tinkering” shed used by the whānau for various trades had its roof entirely removed.
“So our family farm got hit yesterday, roughly just before the really bad part of it,” she says.
“We used to have a working farm, but now we’ve got all different trades, all full-time mahi. So that’s a bit of a tinkering shed.”
The structure housed vehicles and personal belongings, many of which sustained damage.
While Maaka-Marks is relieved the destruction did not reach the main family home, the loss of equipment remains a blow to the whānau’s daily operations.
The next steps
The Whakatāne District Council continues to monitor the situation under a State of Local Emergency. Acting Mayor Julie Jukes confirmed that while residents are cleared to return home, the transition to recovery remains high-risk due to unstable structures and downed lines.
The recovery is expected to gain momentum tomorrow as the Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery, Mark Mitchell, arrives in Whakatāne to assess the damage firsthand.
For whānau on the ground, the priority over the next 48 hours remains the clearing of debris while awaiting official insurance assessments to file full claims.
