Emergency Response

Cyclone Gabrielle was a severe tropical cyclone that devastated parts of the North Island of New Zealand in February 2023. It is the costliest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere, with estimated total damages exceeding NZ$13.5 billion. Much of Hawke’s Bay suffered severe flooding from Cyclone Gabrielle, affecting residential, industrial, and infrastructural assets.

PDP were engaged primarily by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to develop three hydraulic models (Esk, Pōrangahau and Awatoto) for the purposes of assisting the regional recovery efforts. The models were developed in Tuflow and have been used to quantify the flood risk, identify viable flood mitigation options, inform the land categorisation process and assess effects on flooding to support consent applications.

Flooding in Hawke's Bay New Zealand

Key Contact

PDP Staff Member Bas Veendrick
Bas Veendrick