Cyclone Gabrielle...What a week!

 Cyclone Gabrielle came and went, leaving a world of pain behind her. 

There are no words adequate to describe the loss and fear some have experienced. 
I want to tell you how our week has gone but first I must state that there are plenty of people hurting and as much as we were able to have some fun we did not forget that we were luckier than others. 

During the week, I jot down notes that are then edited, refined, most often deleted in the final draft before publishing. I have left those notes in italic to show where our heads were at in the few days before Gabrielle arrived.

Remember the Games Night Gathering from a few weeks back...the jigsaw came out. It took us 8 days and lots of guests. We all paused at the table and were duty bound to place at least one piece before moving on. It was exciting to come back to the table and see how much had, or hadn't, been done.

We're now actively looking for jig-saws. We are in puzzle-mania mode!

Much of this week has been preparing for Cyclone Gabrielle. We have been zoned for high rainfall and strong winds. Some areas of Napier are prone to flooding in severe weather conditions - Toad Hall is not one of them.

Along with all the practical and sensible preparations of gutter clean, water storage, food, blankets, torches etc....we decided it fitting to develop a cocktail to honor Gabrielle passing by.

Thus Cocktail Gabrielle was born..

1 part vodka
½ part cointreau

1 tsp lime juice
Top with soda water
1 slice of orange to float
Place an ice cude in the centre of the orange slice

The weather is going to be wild - well it was, or is...I'm writing on Friday and the storm is due to hit Sunday. I publish Tuesday.

Our week...

Looking back, we struggled a little to remember when it started. What pivotal moment moved us from business as usual to being in emergency mode. 

When the effects of the storm started, the heavy rain, high winds...it felt like a 'normal' storm. We watched the rain, heard the wind. 

We checked that everything that needed to be locked away or tied down was tended to. We re-checked our emergency water stores, food supply, gas bottles and torches. We felt prepared. This will pass and all will be well. We regularly commented  'It's better to be over prepared..." 'Yeah, yeah...I know"

The wind got wilder, the rain heavier. We started listening to reports from up North. I didn't sleep that night. 

Chatter around the breakfast table was all about how heavy the rain was and the loud whistle of the wind through-out the night. I was curled up in my usual breakfast chair looking out our large front room windows. The street gutters and drains were still working and it just seemed like a really bad rainy day. Then the power went out.

After about 2 hours, Gareth and I had a wee chin-wag.  

At this point I still had network and could access information. 

The power may be out for up to 2 weeks.

Jo and Bri arrived with their small dog Molly. This family suffered severely in the last floods of 2020 and Jo was not keen to live through that again. We had offered for them to come and we're really glad they came.

Later that day more friends arrived. One had no way of cooking at home and a couple had escaped their home as it filled with flood water - they have lost a lot. They arrived with no more than the clothes on their backs and their dog, Maia.

Within 12 hours of power going the networks were gone too, no-one on-site could access the internet.

Ingvar with his favourite plate

We took control of the kitchen and planned for 2 hot meals a day.  We boiled water in two huge pots. One for making coffee - because  coffee is essential to everyone's survival, and one for cleaning. Everyone chipped in.

Our guests were safe and sound but restless. and needed information as they tried to make plans to get out of the area. To continue with travels. Guests tried to leave and within hours returned. The roads were closed. The airport closed. 

We fielded a lot of questions...most we didn't know the answer to.

Take a look in your freezer - could you feed 30 people for 4 days? 

We made it work.

We ate well. We were lucky to have such a wonderful group of guests. We needed to cook food before it spoilt and were able to provide good meals in those first few days with what we had on site. The meals were not excessive and we had no left-overs. Catering experience from another life meant we could make enough but waste little.

The responsibility we felt to these people was heavy. 

We have 30 people to keep safe and fed, we have 2 staff members that rely on this business providing them with a living. 

And us...

I worried. Then got on with it. Reports were coming through of people trapped, property destroyed, businesses not operational...and then the first of the deceased reports. My worries seemed self-fish and insignificant. Though I still don't know how we will pay the bills.

And what no-one else knew...Gareth and I were dealing with the knowledge that our basement pumps had stopped. Water was rising down there. We need a generator!

The basement flooding was creating stagnant water. 

The smell was getting bad. Gareth went into overdrive and managed to source a loan generator from a friend. We used it only to pump out the basement. The fridges would have to wait.

One of three pumps

Most of the day was spent dealing with the basement. Gareth waded in almost knee deep water, swearing a lot, getting the pumps going. The pipes had to be diverted out the dray hatch as the drain was no longer taking water away. It was loud, messy, hot and frustrating work. All the while, most of our guests were un-aware of the issue...and we wanted to keep it that way.

Civil Defence came to check on us. They were great! I was given forms for everyone to complete so they could be accounted for.  I was asked to prioritize our needs. 

A generator! 

Rubbish

In two days - food

The risk from the basement was on-going. The loan generator had dealt with the immediate issue but the water would keep coming. Without the pumps working, within 12 hours we would have ankle deep water again. The smell was bad!

Civil Defence turned up with a generator. The boys went into a flurry of activity to run leads and get power where we needed it most. The basement pumps, the emergency lighting (the back-up batteries had gone flat by this point), 3 fridge/freezers and a bunch of lights.

Gareth got a message through to our friends on the Kapiti Coast. Rod and Sarah Topp instantly understood our need (again...not as bad as some). We had a basement filling with water and 30 people on-site and we were running out of food. The supermarkets were now empty

Rod arrived with a wagon load of supplies. Wow! We were so pleased to see him.

The roads had been closed for essential supplies only. Rod loaded his wagon with what he had and dropped into Waikanae New World. They were happy to donate. The supplies they provided kept us fed for the next few days. We are truly grateful! That worry could be set aside.

We are Kapiti Coast locals, living in Napier 
Thank you!

A big part of the week was about keeping guests calm and connected as a group working together.  For the Kiwi folk with us, there was worry about family, friends and property. For the internationals, the concern was how to get out in time to make flights, cancel other accommodation bookings before they were charged, and letting their families know they were safe.

With the generator running our fridges and food stocks enough to not worry we spent the next couple of days mostly in a strange routine of cooking, cleaning, checking updates. 24 hours passed in a bit of a blurr. By Friday we proposed going ahead with an Art Deco event.

Before the cyclone we had planned to have a Deco Pajama gathering on Friday and a Peaky Blinders themed dinner on Saturday. I pulled anything out of my wardrobe and dress-up box that could be used. The girls got dresses, the boys got hats and there were a couple of silk dressing gowns...it was shaping up to be a fun evening.

Just a mum...

My phone rang about 4pm. Unknown number. 

Jacob had  run an errand for Gareth and on the way home decided to drop in on a friend to see that they were ok. The result was that he got caught up in a police cordon as they looked for some idiot on the loose with a gun. 

Two men were arrested in front of Jacob and his friend, then police moved them to a safe zone and they had to wait. Jacob borrowed a phone and gave me a quick update.

I could do nothing but worry. We could see the Police Eagle helicopter circling the area. 

Four hours later. Jo's son-in-law managed to get to Jacob and help him arrange with police to get his moped (motorbike) back and come home.  

We never heard if they found the idiot.

Dancing in the courtyard

With Jacob home safe and sound we could relax and join in with the guests and friends - music going, dancing, table tennis at blood sport competition level...it was very much like a normal gathering.

We still couldn't shower. There was no hot water and we were following strict water restrictions. It was the gathering of the Great Un-washed...in silk pajamas and fancy hats.

I slipped off to bed early. Exhausted. Relieved. Feeling intolerant of people. I needed to sleep.

Gareth hosted until late....quite late according to the neighbours morning summary. oops.

Saturday's weather was hot, clear sky, perfect summer day. Some of our international guests were able to get out of the area.  The road was being opened in short bursts to let people through. They left early and messaged when they were clear. This led others to start making a plan to leave. The drop in numbers made the meals easier.

We couldn't do laundry  so all vacated rooms were stripped of linen and rubbish. We stock-piled the laundry in one room. The commercial linen was bagged and a mountain began to grow under the stairs.

No problem - that could wait.

We were up to 5 days without showering.. Busy co-ordinating people and resources across a 3 level building, sorting leaks and bringing stores up to the communal kitchen....a lot of stairs. We were hot, sticky, tired and a bit feral.  

Our neighbours got power. How could this be? Neighbour Jean (French John),  offered me a shower. Bless him! It was heaven. After showering we chattered about why we were the last to have power. Perhaps because we were a commercial building??

'Check your switch board' he suggested. I took this information to Gareth. He checked. 

The power came back on!  

Part of the reason for writing this blog is to give perspective as a business owner. Much of what we did over the week was simply because we are who we are, a family on site.  There were reports of accommodation providers doing things different to us.

We did not ever, not even fleetingly, consider going to our own apartment and leaving everyone to their own resources.

All of our personal food and medical stores were contributed - nothing was kept back

We tried to keep people together, safe and happy...and just a little experience of Art Deco

From a business perspective....our income is about to dry out. When the booking system came back on-line most of February and March bookings were gone or waiting for a refund.

The trip to the bathroom to cry as more cancellation notifications came through. The checking on our staff, taking them cash and ensuring they were able to access any support needed. The logistics of taking care of 30 people on-site - mostly internationals - 7 languages in total. The guilt that we were better off than others - that emotion is real and difficult. 

Exhausting is an under statement.

The tone of this blog was intended to be light hearted, funny even. This entry has been difficult to write with humour.  It's been hard. The physical effort to keep everything clean and in order, everyone fed, safe and working together does take it's toll. I replied to my mum's text:

How are you?

Safe and sound. Tired of being in charge.

Gareth was really in charge. He was, is, an amazingly talented leader. He's calm, capable and funny. With his direction, we talked each morning about the priorities of the day. What needed to be done, how we would achieve it and what we could do for fun - to keep everyone together, safe and well.

Jacob, 16 years old, stepped into a leadership role so naturally it was heart bursting. He never once complained. Not once!  And I am so proud at how capable and practical he is...just like his father. 

Jo and Fiona, both nurses, both practical, empathetic and calm. 

They worked so hard!

Bri and Molly-dog were constantly present, available and positive. There is a lot to be said for the support from someone that puts their own needs aside and makes those around them the priority.

Sarah and Rod Topp, and Waikanae New World. Thank you! The practical support was one level, the emotional support of someone going so far out of their way to help us - next level and then some.

So, as a business owner...the responsibility continues. 

At different times we hear the mutterings, mostly on social media platforms, about greedy business owners...if you can't afford this, that or the other, you shouldn't be in business. Of course this comes right along side, we want a discount. 

I am not speaking for all business. I am speaking of OUR business. We run on a very slim profit margin - of which is slimmer still or non-existent as we recover from Covid. 

During Cyclone Gabrielle, we kept our pricing as standard and all of our stranded international guests were more than happy to pay - we did not add on any cost for meals.

Our Kiwi families have applied for Civil Defense Grants - if we receive funds from them we will be very grateful. If not - that's the end of it. We're still all friends.

From a purely business point of view, this feels a little like Covid - without the financial support. Not from Government - we sustained no damage and can operate. Not from our landlord - same reason.

So my challenge is to find customers. To keep the business going. To support our staff, and us. Meet our obligations to our landlord and suppliers.

It's taken a few days, but the house is now in order again. We're back to business as usual. I have processed all the refunds. I have contacted Napier i-site and Civil Defense to advise we are able to take volunteer teams from out of town. A potential income stream. Though we know we compete with empty motels closer to the clean-up zone.

So...we're ready! Come visit. Book direct! Bring a group. Come and have some fun and/or help with the clean-up in our hardest hit areas. Toad Hall is on the edge of the city and most bars, restaurants and retailers are open. Cycling is still a viable activity. Wine tours are still possible. 

We decided to make another cocktail...

Aftermath 

Representing Toadies in the middle of chaos

1 part kalua

1/2 part vodka

1 cube of ice

Meet ya at Toadies!