As Kaikōura confronts one of its most significant weather emergencies in recent years, Takahanga Marae has once again become the heart of the community, opening its doors to hundreds of residents forced from their homes by widespread flooding.
A state of emergency remains in force after torrential rain caused rivers to burst their banks, inundating homes, cutting roads, damaging bridges and isolating parts of the district. While emergency crews continue to assess the full extent of the damage, the marae has emerged as a vital refuge, providing shelter, food and support for whānau caught in the crisis.
Speaking with Radio Waatea’s Matthew Tukaki, Chevy Allen from Takahanga Marae described an intense 48 hours as staff, volunteers and community members worked around the clock to care for evacuees arriving with little more than the clothes they were wearing.
As floodwaters rose across the district, the marae rapidly transformed into an emergency response hub, welcoming families seeking safety while coordinating welfare support alongside Civil Defence, emergency services and local organisations.
The flooding has caused extensive disruption throughout Kaikōura, with damaged roads, washed-out bridges and landslides restricting access to parts of the region. Residents have spoken of homes surrounded by floodwater, damaged infrastructure and uncertainty about when they will be able to return safely.
For many communities, the immediate priority has been ensuring everyone has somewhere safe to stay, access to food, clean drinking water, warm clothing and essential medicines. Takahanga Marae has helped coordinate these efforts, drawing on the strength of manaakitanga that has long been central to marae during times of crisis.
The response once again highlights the critical role marae play during emergencies across Aotearoa. Beyond being places of cultural significance, marae regularly become evacuation centres, welfare hubs and community coordination points when disasters strike, providing practical support alongside emotional and cultural care.
Allen says the generosity shown by volunteers and the wider community has been extraordinary, with local residents, businesses and organisations contributing supplies and assistance as the emergency unfolded.
Attention is now beginning to shift from immediate response to the enormous recovery effort that lies ahead.
As floodwaters recede, damage assessments will determine the extent of repairs needed to homes, farms, roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure. Many whānau face lengthy clean-up operations, insurance claims and uncertainty about when life can begin returning to normal.
Community leaders say the coming weeks will require ongoing government support, continued volunteer efforts and sustained investment to help Kaikōura recover from the disaster.
The flooding also serves as another reminder of the increasing challenges many communities face from severe weather events. As climate change contributes to more frequent and intense storms, emergency preparedness and community resilience are becoming increasingly important across New Zealand.
For Takahanga Marae, however, the priority remains clear—continuing to provide a place of safety, care and hope for every whānau affected by the floods.
In times of crisis, the marae has once again demonstrated that it is not simply a gathering place, but the beating heart of its community.
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