Six months after Cyclone Gabrielle tore through Aotearoa, affected communities are still reeling from the destruction - uncertain about their future.
In Hawke's Bay's Esk Valley, February's harsh rain and winds brought flooding, slash and silt, leaving hundreds displaced.
Now, six months later, everyday life is still a struggle. For Eskdale Holiday Park owner Daniel Gale, the cyclone has left a lasting impact.
The destruction his property received meant business was unable to happen. Only now are trucks starting to remove silt and woody debris.
Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz and Wairoa Mayor Craig Little say some people are "still living a nightmare". (Source: Breakfast)
"We're cranking along, getting ready to reopen. I don't think it'll be this summer," he told Breakfast.
"It's not easy working full time to rebuild a business and your home. It's tough."
His property is ranked Category 3, meaning it's among the most severely affected by the cyclone. But Gale doesn't want to leave, saying a buyout would end his business.
He wants to see stronger business support from the Government.
"There is no offer to buy out commercial businesses," he said.
"It's not a business I can pick up and relocate elsewhere. We'd need to be compensated."
An agreement has been struck for a buyout plan for Category 3 homes in Hawke's Bay. The cost of buying the homes deemed too dangerous to live in will be split by Government and local council.
The destruction to Daniel Gale's property has meant his business has had to stop while clean-up efforts take place. (Source: Breakfast)
Residents 'exhausted'
Muriwai resident Caroline Bell-Booth still gets emotional when watching footage from the cyclone's aftermath.
"Just seeing that footage again, it actually goes right to the heart," she told Breakfast.
She said the over 100 people still out of their homes are "exhausted".
The residents of the small West Auckland coastal suburb are still waiting to hear if they'll be able to come home or be forced out for good.
"We need to be taken out of this uncertainty, and we need to be taken out of this trauma.
"We're pleading that just to get us to the categorisation process.
"But categorisation itself doesn't mean anything until we get a confirmed buyout and valuation process."
She's struggling to pay her mortgage thanks to "complete and utter uncertainty".
Bell-Booth said the council is taking too long to establish a process for categorising and valuing their properties, leaving her frustrated.
"As a human in need, the fact that someone else is delaying and extending your pain is an incredibly difficult thing to process."
"I can't answer that," Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson said when asked how much longer affected residents must wait.
But the community is staying strong, updating each other via social media, and having regular meet-ups to keep spirits high.
"There's a very strong connection," Bell-Booth said.
Muriwai resident Caroline Bell-Booth says displaced residents are still waiting for certainty following the devastating weather event. (Source: Breakfast)
'Still living the nightmare'
In Gisborne, some people are "still living the nightmare", according to Mayor Rehette Stoltz.
She said there is still a lot of uncertainty about properties and businesses.
"It's still tough for some."
She's currently negotiating to have "something concrete" regarding a buyout of homes destroyed during the cyclone - but it takes time.
"Our community is very, very stressed," she said.
Just south along State Highway 2, those living in the small town of Wairoa still find daily life challenging.
"We haven't really improved a hell of a lot," Mayor Craig Little said.
Hundreds had to be evacuated when the river banks burst and flooded the streets. Little said it will be a while before they can return home."
"We've still got around 214 people out of their homes. We thought they'd be home before Christmas.
"They probably won't be."
'A really sad anniversary'
Finance Minister Grant Robertson told Breakfast this morning it was a "really sad anniversary for a lot of people".
"I see how tough it's been," he said, reiterating the Government's previously-announced investment in the cyclone response.
"We're there, supporting our local councils to be able to take the lead, get a locally-led solution.
"And we'll get there, but I recognise it's been a really tough time."
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