New Zealand floods trigger tsunami flashbacks for Samoan man
Photo:
Webcam/Marlborough District Council
With New Zealand's recent weather warnings and widespread flooding, a Samoan man whose home in Marlborough was affected says the experience triggered haunting memories of the 2009 tsunami that devastated his home village of Aleipata.
Tauinaola Timuiaiala, originally from the villages of Solosolo and Lalomanu, moved to Aotearoa in 2018.
Now based on a farm in Marlborough with his wife Dione and their children, he told
Pacific Waves
that the flooding reminded him of the deadly natural disaster that struck Samoa and neighbouring Pacific nations on 29 September 2009.
That tsunami killed 149 people in Samoa and caused widespread destruction to homes, vehicles, and infrastructure across the region. Thirty-one people in American Samoa and nine in Tonga also lost their lives.
"However, when I came [to New Zealand], and if you know in the rural area of Lalomanu, it is like the rural area here what we call the country side, which is the same. Thats why I thought when I moved here I was happy to live for the farm life,.
"But when I moved here things were not easy. It was a struggle."
It was his first experience of a major flood in Aotearoa and it took him straight back to the moment the 2009 tsunami struck.
Tauinaola Timuiaiala with his wife Dione Timuiaiala and Father in Samoa.
Photo:
Dione Timuiaiala
"My mind went back to the time of the tsunami. Peoples hearts broke and during the tsunami there was a lot of sadness among the village and people who lost their loved ones from the natural disaster.
"And now that this has happened, I thank God that this happened and I have had the experience."
Timuiaiala said that experience helped him act fast to protect his family and neighbours.
"On the day it happened, it reminded me of what happened in Lalomanu. Even though I had faith in God, when the incident happened, I did not sit still, the only thing that came to mind was the safety of my family and my neighbours. I used the tractor to help move everyone to safety."
The Pelorus River in Marlborough is running high.
Photo:
RNZ / Samantha Gee
His children were confused at first, mistaking the rising waters for snow. But he knew what had to be done.
"We were thinking it was just rain. My kids said it looked like snow. I said, 'It's not snow, it's flood water'. I quickly got changed into my work clothes and started to get my family to the other side of the farm to safety."
As of Thursday afternoon Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough remained under a state of emergency and the regions under new orange heavy rain warnings.
Civil Defence is warning people whose properties flooded last week to prepare for more heavy rain and to consider staying elsewhere.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Civil defence meeting held after biggest flood in Ngātīmoti since 1877
More than 60 residents turned up to a Nelson Tasman Civil Defence meeting at the Ngātīmoti Memorial Hall on Saturday afternoon. The Ngātīmoti Memorial Hall. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi They had questions for officials about where they could dump waste, silt and sand, who they could to talk to about getting their driveways cleared to reinstate access, the risk of drinking water contamination and whether rates relief was possible. More than 60 residents turned up to the Civil Defence meeting at the Ngātīmoti Memorial Hall. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi Patrick Shortley has lived in the vallley for 35 years and said the recent flooding saw water reach "extraordinarily high" levels, with several homes flooded and many properties damaged. "The loss of infrastructure obviously is significant, but I feel for the people whose homes have been inundated. "It's the things that have no monetary value, the family photo album that got soaked, or the pet dog or cat or horse or whatever that didn't make it through." He said the extent of the damage across the district had not yet been fully assessed. Ngātīmoti resident and Motueka Valley Association member Patrick Shortley. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi Shortley facilitates the Motueka Valley Association, a community group that covers the area between the the Baton Bridge to the south and the Alexander Bluff Bridge to the north, including the east and west banks of the Motueka River and its tributaries. He said many people were affected by the flood and, for a few, it was "bordering on catastrophic". "There's a bit of grieving to be done and a lot of recovery work that's going to take some time to complete, both the physical recovery, I think, and also the emotional recovery." An area affected by the Motueka Valley flood. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi He was fortunate to live far enough away from the river that he wasn't directly affected. "I've met with most of my immediate neighbours. We all sat around and had a beer the other night, and we talked about the flood and whether it was the biggest one. "People were talking about whether it was a 40-year flood or a 100-year flood. I don't think it makes much difference, they're just numbers. "It's a pretty major significant event here." Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi He was confident those in the Motueka Valley could support each other through the recovery. "We've got a long job ahead of us to support those people... but we're a resilient community, we can do it." Nelson Tasman Civil Defence controller Rob Smith. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi Nelson Tasman Civil Defence controller Rob Smith said the flood was the biggest since 1877, when a hole was put in a rock up near Ngātīmoti after the floods. This week's deluge was up to a plaque placed there. He said said full recovery costs would take time to work out, but government support would be needed to help with the years-long clean-up. "A lot of the landowners in the Motueka particularly went through the 1983 flood, so they know the time that that took to recover from," he said. "That was a big valley-floor flood. "This was half a metre to a metre higher. This was a much bigger flood." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
'Be super careful': Authorities warn of unstable ground, hidden hazards following Nelson Tasman floods
Nelson Tasman Civil Defence working to clear roads, assess and fix infrastructure and environmental damage, 3 July. Photo: Nelson Tasman Civil Defence Nelson Tasman Civil Defence is urging people to take care when they're out assessing their properties for flood damage. The region remains under a state of emergency after being battered by rain and flooding. Crews have been out checking properties across the region with 42 staff on the ground around Brooklyn and Wakefield on Saturday to build a picture of what they needed. Close to 650 properties have already been assessed , with 90 of them being provided with information to help them reach out for support. One property has been red stickered, and another 13 have been yellow-stickered after floodwaters swept through them. Response Controller Rob Smith said it would take time to work out the full recovery costs, but they would need to seek support from the government to help with the years-long cleanup. "A lot of the landowners in the Motueka particularly went through the 1983 flood, so they know the time that that took to recover from. That was a big valley floor flood," he said. "This was half a metre to a metre higher. This was a much bigger flood." The horticulture and agriculture industries had been hit hard, with floodwaters tearing through properties, prime pasture and farmland, and leaving silt, muck and debris behind. Flooding in the Tasman district has left a trail of muck and debris behind, 4 July 2025. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii About 200mm fell over a 48 period across a broad part of the region, which then faced more rain this week. Two community meetings were being held at Riwaka Memorial Hall and Ngātīmoti Hall on Saturday, so people knew who to contact for support and could speak directly to government services. "We want to see it as a seamless response," he said. "This is not just a Nelson Tasman issue. This is important to the country, so trying to get people back on their feet as soon as possible." The ground was so saturated and unstable that people might notice ground cracks, movement or strange seeps, he said. "Please be super careful out there, so the rivers have changed, the trees are piled on top of each other, there's holes on the banks," he said. "So when you're out and about, and we know ... we encourage people to go out and sort their situation out, but just be super aware of your surroundings when you're doing that." Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii He encouraged affected residents to ask for help. "We know our rural folk are really resilient, and they just got in and sorted stuff out. But it is actually ok to ask for help," Smith said. "You know that old maxim about 'if you don't ask, you don't get', there are opportunities out there to get support or to get noticed, so we really want people to do that." He wanted to thank the emergency services and many volunteers for stepping up and supporting the region and its communities. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
9 hours ago
- RNZ News
Watch: Several South Taranaki families cut off following floods
Several South Taranaki families remain cut off on Saturday following this week's flooding . South Taranaki District mayor Phil Nixon said some roads remain impassable and crews were working to clear slips and debris. "We still have some families isolated in the Tangahoe Valley and the Waitotara Valley. We're keeping in touch with them and able to look after any welfare needs if there is any. "Our crews are working their way up through those valleys and getting as much of the slips and that cleared as they can, but we still don't totally know the state of some of those roads until the crews work their way up." Nixon said the families were resilient, but in the case of a medical emergency, helicopters could be used to reach them. "They are used to being cut off at times. And so most of them are pretty well prepared for these sorts of events. And as I say, we're we're able to go and get help into them if we absolutely need to." It was unclear how many families were affected. Nixon said the situation with the Waitotara River was stable. "So, currently we do have some light grizzly rain. We have had for a while, and we're not expecting a lot of rain today, just misty, grizzly rain. "The Waitotara River has dropped overnight, although in the last few hours, it has been very, very slowly rising, so more or less I'd call it stable, but about three or four metres down on what it was at its peak yesterday." A further update is expected midday Saturday. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
