Video: Hawke's Bay still 'very much in response mode,' says Hastings Mayor
Three days on from Cyclone Gabrielle, Hawke's Bay is still very much in a response mode with many people unaccounted for, says Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst.
Speaking at a press conference held by local fruit growers this afternoon, Hazlehurst said this is the biggest natural disaster the region has ever faced.
"Everything has been compromised. There is not one area that hasn't been compromised; that is telecommunications, that is roading, that is how we are being able to connect people. We have many many people still to rescue so first and foremost it is the well-being of life and we haven't finished with that yet.
"This is a devastation and a natural disaster like this region has never seen. We know that our neighbours Tairawhiti have been through this six times in 18 months but for us, this is huge for Hawke's Bay. We have good leadership. We're going to set up with Crown, with the private sector, a whole group of people and with good leadership and a great team, to rebuild."
Connectivity around the region, both physically and through cellphone communication is a big challenge, and needs to be urgently addressed, Hazlehurst says.
Fifteen bridges are closed, including six which have been "devastated".
"We will be talking to the Minister about temporary bridge access. This is the sort of stuff we need stood up now. We want a full team here to help us with that sort of infrastructure. That's the need."
They hope the Hawke's Bay Expressway will be open in the next day or two. Hazlehurst says the "animal welfare" has been devastating, particularly along that stretch of highway.
"It is fencing, farming, animals. It's all farmland and the animals that we have lost is also very tragic."
Hazlehurst says the region's resilience has been on full display and will go a long way in the recovery efforts, and as the region rebuilds.
"We are resilient. We are an amazing community. We have seen it here today with all your community coming out and helping. We have seen this right across the region but first and foremost we have to get people to safety and we are not finished with that yet, and that is a lot of work to do.
"We've had probably 500 people staying in emergency accommodation in Hastings in our evacuation centres and they are now moving to friends and family, we know that's not going to last. We have got devastated communities like Waiohiki, Omahu - right across areas and the most vulnerable communities are isolated and the devastation is huge."
