Following wide spread infrastructure and property damage, some are calling for changes in communication processes during major events.
Te Teko resident Lillian Te Hura Moses was preparing alongside her community as Cyclone Vaianu approached on April 11.
Rauhina Marae was opened for evacuees, with two other Marae nearby on standby.
Te Hura Moses said local medical personnel, including herself, were also on standby if needed.
Regular updates were shared through private community social media pages to keep residents informed.
At home, Te Hura Moses was watching and waiting with her whānau, hoping their preparation would hold up.
"I was keeping an eye on things outside and trying to comfort our family dog, who was quite scared."
Once the storm began, strong winds and heavy rain battered her property.
"You could really feel the force of the weather from inside — it was quite intense."
The wind lifted the roof of her garage, leaving motorbikes and machinery exposed.
Garden sheds were knocked over, and skylights on other buildings were damaged.
Down the road, Te Hura Moses said a large broken tree branch remains hanging over a power line leading to a disabled whaānau member's home, blocking her driveway.
Damage remains visable across the town, with many residents facing ongoing risks and challenges during the clean up.
"It seems many are doing their best to get by and manage things themselves," she said.
At her own property, her husband and son have taken on the clean-up efforts while she returned to work, taking time off to salvage tools and equipment.
Te Hura Moses said she has contacted her insurance company, and a building inspector visited the property earlier this week, but she is unsure whether the damage will be covered.
"Since then, we’ve been working through pulling down unsafe structures and organising a storage container for anything we’ve managed to save."
"It’s been quite challenging trying to figure out where to start, where to store things, and how to prevent further damage, especially from water."
Despite the damage to their farm, she said she feels relieved that no one was hurt.
Farmers across the Bay have been dealing with the aftermath.
Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty president Brent Mountford said farmers had moved stock to more sheltered areas ahead of Cyclone Vaianu, preparing for the severe weather.
He said many were already concerned about saturated ground conditions before the cyclone hit, and whether the weather would worsen.
Fences and trees have been brought down across the Bay, including on his own property.
Mountford, who is based on Herepuru Road, said residents have been clearing the road to make it passable.
Until yesterday, residents had to travel through Rotomā.
With damage to roads and power lines across the district, milk tankers were unable to get through, forcing many dairy farmers to dump their milk.
The biggest issue for many in isolated areas has been communication.
With power outages, rural residents relied on landlines to communicate with the outside world, making it difficult to organise work and travel the following day.
"So that's mostly something that, as a community moving forward, we need to think about — how we communicate back to those people affected, that may be under stress."
Mountford said clearer and more coordinated information from agencies sharing updates would help eliminate confusion around infrastructure damage, such as the duration of power outages.
He said many residents are concerned about how long power will be out, and better communication would help people make informed decisions, such as whether they need to source a generator.
Despite the challenges, Mountford said he is relieved the damage was not as widespread as initially predicted, but added that more work is needed to ensure isolated communities receive timely and effective information.
Volunteers Stitch Together Warmth for Local Whānau
Whakatāne Riverfront Plan Approved in Scaled-Back $7.5m Design
Changing Communities Through Kindness One Sandwich at a Time
Waioweka Gorge Open 24/7 Following “Minimal” Damage During Cyclone Vaianu
