Stacey Smith's rural property in Fernhill, Hawkes Bay, was among those hard-hit by Cyclone Gabrielle last year.
Three metres of water swept through her family home, at the tail end of two rivers, the Ngaruroro and the Tutaekuri.
Stacey, her husband Mike and their three children Bella - now 8, William now 6, and four-year-old Sam, climbed onto the roof of the shed and were rescued by helicopter.
When they were able to return home, they found a pig had managed to swim into their house and climb to safety on a mattress.
Named "Lucky" -the pig's story of survival has now been turned into a children's book, to help other families.
The Lucky Little Pig is based on a the true story of a pig that climbed on a mattress during Cyclone Gabrielle, Photo: Supplied/Smith's Books
