The New Year started as normal, but in January,Hugh had a bad fall, nothing broken, he is fine now, I had one visit to ED with angina, not too serious, home after one night, life continued.
Early February, Cyclone Gabrielle was north of New Zealand, tracking her way south. The met office kept a close eye on her travels, and gave an estimated arrival here.
The cyclone was downgraded to an ex-tropical cyclone.
The rain came, gale winds, Northland and Auckland received deluge after deluge, on the West Coast two volunteer firefighters lost their lives, attending to a callout.
12 February, a National State of Emergency was called.
This gives Government the power to call on so many other services to assist. Further resources can be used and priorities set in support of a national level response. Army,Navy, Airforce, and more.
The cyclone travelled south, and caused incomprehensible damage. Flooding, homes totally destroyed, the Hawkes Bay region, where my Mum lived for some years when they travelled here from Scotland, has been hit the hardest. So far 9 lives lost, stock gone, roads destroyed, homes filled with silt and debris and harrowing tales of loss and survival.No power, no water, no cell phone coverage, the Navy ships are arriving at Napier Port and a little further north with supplies, generators, food and water. Helicopters are delivering food and medical supplies to places further out that have no way of travelling.
One family lost their 2 year old daughter, a man lost his 3 precious dogs, as he assisted another family to move horses to a safer area. Many more stories that are way too sad to read or post.
Some photos from the Internet. My friend Maureen in Auckland and I talked this morning, and know how fortunate we are to have had no damage, we can look out our windows, talk to our friends,
One friend has just sent me a txt to say he is safe, another posted on Facebook that he was safe too.
Amid all this our 61st Wedding Anniversary came, and went. I truly could not bring myself to celebrate in the current situation elsewhere.
Quotation of the day, from lyrics in " The Living Years "
by B A Robertson and Mike Rutherford
".... I just wish I could have told him in the living years ...
Say it now, say it loud, say it clear,..."
Greetings from Jean
