New Zealand Town Bands Together After Storm Hits Hard

A devastating storm left Te Araroa and surrounding communities on New Zealand's East Coast completely isolated for four days, but neighbors refused to let each other face it alone.

The remote township got hammered by torrential rain that triggered widespread flooding and massive landslides. Dozens of families found themselves trapped with dwindling supplies and no way out.

But the local Four Square grocery store became an unexpected hero. Duty manager Wiremu Henare and his team kept working around the clock, even though half his staff was stuck in nearby Hicks Bay. They partnered with Civil Defence to deliver groceries to 20 to 30 isolated families using four-wheelers at low tide.

"We were running low on bread, eggs, and flour," Henare said. When the first supply truck finally made it through yesterday, it felt like a victory.

Meanwhile, Hinerupe Marae transformed into the community's beating heart. The traditional meeting house became the Civil Defence base and welfare center, hosting 30 to 40 people at any given time. Kitchen crews worked nonstop to keep everyone fed.

Local Civil Defence worker Trudi Ngāwhare admitted watching the destruction unfold felt horrible. Some families woke up and lost everything. But she said communities on the East Coast know how to pull together when disaster strikes.

The Ripple Effect

The response reached far beyond Te Araroa's borders. Support flooded in from communities across New Zealand, with donations, prayers, and messages of encouragement arriving from "all around the motu" (the country).

State Highway 35 finally reopened to Te Araroa with convoy access three times daily. About 30 houses in nearby Onepoto remain evacuated due to landslide risk, and Hicks Bay will likely stay cut off for another week.

Ngāwhare said the needs change every day depending on power outages and road conditions. Her team stays flexible, planning one day at a time and responding wherever help is needed most.

Despite the mountain range now scarred with "open gash wounds" from massive slips, the community's spirit remains unbroken. "We'll get there," Ngāwhare promised, expressing huge gratitude for everyone who reached out.