1 in 1000

The aftermath of Gabrielle rolls on.

Years ago Tangoio was a little place one passed heading out of Napier on the way to Gizzy. Blink and you miss it.

There was a time when the infesting Chilean Needle Grass was sprouting up on the hillsides and was a major problem to control.

Pakuratahi Valley was hardly noticeable and the flats in the valley had spuds and corn  struggling away in the salty ,silty flats near the sea.

Wonder why crops never looked the best when they were in this trying  ground ?

Nevertheless  the flats produced crops for years and helped sustain someone through another growing season.

These flats always look enticing to some. A subdivision would go well here and make a handsome profit for a developer.

What could go wrong? Life close to the sea and not far to commute to town .

Gabrielle. That's what can go wrong.

Luckily the subdivision had only just started .If there had been a full compliment of new residents it could have been a disaster.

As it was many felt the impact of the flooding and the ongoing pain of dealing with the consequences.

In a recent court case , it is intriguing that the developer of the subdivision has suggested that the subdivision consent should never have been approved. A bit strange  .

I would not like to comment on the case as I have not followed it but the Judge mentioned that Gabrielle was a 1 in 1000 year event.

That was the first definitive statement I have heard relating to the return value of the cyclone.

That is massive.

Time to contemplate the ramifications of that statement.