The clean up is in full swing in the hard-hit town of Te Karaka, about 30 kilometres west of Gisborne.
About 80 whānau are still in evacuation centres, five days after Cyclone Gabrielle rushed through the valley in the middle of the night, forcing residents onto a nearby hill for hours.
Today, volunteers from around Tai Rāwhiti joined them to help clear the silt and debris. Jamie Tahana and cameraman Samuel Rillstone have the story.
