Haunting Photos from the NZ Town Devastated by Floods

The rural town of Eskdale, Hawkes Bay, was once home to vineyards, orchards and a small community – but since February 2023 it has been left a ghost of itself.

The Esk River that runs through the town has a long history of flash flooding, with notable floods wreaking havoc in 1938 and 2018. February 2023 saw Cyclone Gabrielle sweep across Aotearoa, leaving devastation in its wake. Heavy winds battered the land and buildings alike, bringing down trees, flipping cars and keeping terrified New Zealanders trapped inside.

Floods rose in Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Gisborne District, and Hawke’s Bay, causing several cities to enter an official state of emergency. In the days before the floods, residents were warned to prepare supplies for up to three days and to expect power cuts. At the time, many Eskdale and Esk Valley residents said that they were not given advanced warnings to evacuate.

Former interim Chief Executive of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Pieri Munro, said that the event had “exceeded all forecasts based on the data that we had at hand…” This left the people of Eskdale unprepared for the horrors that followed, including the death of a toddler during one family’s desperate escape from their home.

Cyclone Gabrielle caused the deaths of 11 people and displaced more than 10,000 New Zealanders from their homes.

While most of the residents of the houses on the surrounding hills have returned, at least 45 Eskdale properties were deemed category 3 (holding an intolerable risk to life) after the flood damage, leaving their occupants unable to return. One local shared that a few families have continued to live on the floor of the valley.

What remains of Eskdale is a strange mix of battered weatherboard structures that have survived decades in the valley, family homes still piled with belongings and unfinished new builds. It is a haunting reminder of the lack of awareness around the valley’s history.

Photos by Daniel Brunskill