Tauranga radio volunteers answer cyclone call (New Zealand)

When ex-tropical Cyclone Vaianu threatened the East Coast this month, a small group of Tauranga volunteers quietly packed their bags and headed into the storm.

Their mission wasn’t rescue or relief work on the ground. It was something less visible, but just as critical – keeping communities connected.

Members of Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (AREC) Tauranga answered a national call to support Tairāwhiti Emergency Management in Gisborne from April 10-12, ensuring vital lines of communication stayed open as severe weather hit the region.

AREC group leader Joanne Watson said the deployment highlighted just how important back-up communications were when disaster strikes.

“Cell phones and satellite systems are great – until they’re not,” Watson said. “Towers can go down, batteries only last so long, and networks get congested very quickly. That’s where we come in.”

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