For every house damaged in the devastating Auckland Anniversary flooding, there is a story of woe. And it often began after the floods receded.
Newshub returned to some of the worst-hit areas to see how their residents were coping.
In Auckand's Remuera you don't have to look far to remind yourself of the pain and suffering caused by the events of last January.
Shore Road was among the worst hit. A giant slip claimed homes and the life of Transport Museum volunteer Dave Lennard.
One year on and there's very little left of Andrew Marshall's west Auckland home.
Since the flooding, looters have been helping themselves to anything and everything they can get their hands on.
"They basically took whatever the flood didn't take," he told Newshub.
"It's beyond a kick in the teeth... it started from the very first night we were away and continues right through until today."
Marshall's home was also flooded back in 2021, meaning he and his family had an evacuation plan, when the water rose 1.2 metres above the floorboards. But he said nothing can prepare you for the emotional toll.
"It took me right to the edge of my mental health, I would say," he said.
"But having little Madeline, our little three-year-old, that gave us some great distraction."
Marshall stopped drinking alcohol and sought counselling almost straight away.
"It's only now really that I'm starting to really be able to face everything again," he said.
And he said they've finally regained some certainty.
"We've just in the last few days received word from the Council that we're Category 3, so intolerable risk to life and eligible for a buyout so that's an enormous relief, but we've still got that whole process to go through."
But he says he's hopeful for the year ahead.
"The other big hope would be that we learn the lesson from this event and that we can make all of the communities around here safe," he said.
"And at a national level we need regulatory change so we're actually providing for the New Zealanders of the future."
A future, that for Marshall and his family, is finally looking brighter again.
