Post Event Woody Debris Assessment – Hawke’s Bay

Interpine Innovation Report – April 2023

Cyclone Gabrielle impacted Hawke’s Bay from 13 – 14 February 2023. It was one of the most intense storms to impact New Zealand in recorded history. During the most intense 12-hour period of Cyclone Gabrielle, 400 mm of rain fell with a peak intensity of 56 mm per hour at the Glengarry Hawke’s Bay Regional Council site. The highest measured 24-hour rainfall period during Cyclone Bola was 419 mm at Te Puia Springs. This indicates that Cyclone Gabrielle was a much more intense storm than Cyclone Bola during their respective peaks, as it affected parts of Hawke’s Bay. Prior to this event was a sustained, record-breaking, wet 6-month period for Hawke’s Bay from July 2022 to January 2023. The impact of heavy rainfall during Cyclone Gabrielle was in addition to already saturated soils.

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