Valentine's Day 2023 was a day like no other.
I'll remember it, and many Hawke's Bay people will remember it forever. Not for the flowers or the chocolates but for the sheer terror Cyclone Gabrielle unleashed on our poor region.
I'm sure many people went to bed on the night of Monday 13 February, thinking similar thoughts: a few roof leaks, some surface flooding, a few trees down, how bad can it be? Before we knew it, we experienced immense rainfall and wind, and then flash flooding. People woke up to the sound of running water, in pitch black darkness with no power. I don't think our community really understood the magnitude of this once-in-a-lifetime weather event.
Of course, as a property management company, Oxygen has procedures in place for almost any scenario — and in New Zealand, we're no stranger to extreme weather!
The preparation and steps we took on 13 February were important, with each property manager taking the time to touch base with owners and notify our tenants of the upcoming change in weather. We recommended that they tie or secure loose items around their properties and call us immediately if they had concerns regarding leaks, surface flooding, or damage.
Besides our immediate families and properties, the wellbeing and safety of our tenants, owners, their properties, and our tradespeople were our number one priority. After all, this is the most important piece to our puzzle — we work in the people industry.
Coming together for the community
On Wednesday, 15 February, our property management team, mainly based in Hastings and Havelock North, immediately sprang into action. We knew we had the safety and wellbeing of our tenants, owners, properties, and tradespeople to consider, and we spent days contacting everyone on our database. Are they safe? Are they warm? How are they feeling, and how could we help?
We have two Napier-based team members we couldn't get in contact with, and we were very worried for them and their families. We were also unable to contact half of our tenants and owners who were on the "other side" in Napier, which was very scary.
Emotions running high along with adrenaline is what drove my team as well as our communities to help in any way possible. Knowing the make-up of our people and what they needed straight away was support, a friendly voice, a hug, or a smile.
In the following days, our team showed true leadership and team spirit as they worked together to support our owners, tenants, and tradespeople in affected areas, all while looking after and managing their flood-affected properties.
Above all else, I've learned a lot about my team following the cyclone. They are resilient, dedicated, and most of all, caring towards not only our Oxygen clients but our entire Hawke's Bay community.
I felt so proud of them as they were out helping to clean up properties with friends and whānau, as well as secure rental properties for families displaced by the floods.
Fortunately, we were lucky to have only two rental properties considered "red-stickered" properties.
We will have a tough and long journey ahead, but I know we can do it. Together as a community, we are determined to help get Hawke's Bay back on its feet.
