Surviving Gabrielle

Climate change is reshaping our world, leading to extreme weather events like flooding, fires, landslides, and pandemics. This narrative focuses on the resilience of three West Auckland communities-Piha, Karekare, and Anawhata-during Cyclone Gabrielle. It highlights the strength and compassion of locals and volunteers who banded together in the face of disaster. The story encourages lifestyle changes to combat climate change and offers strategies for preparing for future challenges.Climate change is dramatically reshaping our world, bringing about overflowing rivers, eroding coastlines, and increasingly severe weather. We're witnessing storm surges, extreme temperatures, bushfires, and droughts that threaten our lands. New pandemics and invasive species are emerging, while storms become more intense and unpredictable. These challenges pose significant risks to our homes and communities, highlighting the urgent need for collective action. In West Auckland, we must adapt our lifestyles to combat the root causes of climate change and prepare for immediate threats like flooding, landslides, severe winds, power outages, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and health crises. This narrative focuses on the resilience of three local communities-Piha, Karekare, and Anawhata-during Cyclone Gabrielle. It captures the extraordinary strength and compassion of residents and volunteers who rallied to support one another during the crisis.Their story showcases not just the challenges faced but also the community spirit that emerged, illustrating how families came together to build resilience in the aftermath. Our hope is that this account inspires others to make meaningful changes in their lives to slow climate change. Additionally, we offer practical strategies to help prepare for future events, fostering a proactive approach to the challenges that lie ahead.