Thousands of New Zealanders have gathered around the North Island to mark one year since Cyclone Gabrielle unleashed a devastating combination of rain and wind on the country.
It was one of the worst storms in New Zealand's history and a rare national state of emergency was declared. It remained in place for a month.
Eleven people were killed and hundreds of lives have been changed forever, with damage costing billions of dollars.
Cyclone Gabrielle showed no mercy, with her disastrous deluge of water wiping out entire communities and leaving hundreds of homes smothered in millions of tonnes of silt.
It caused pain and loss for the community on an unimaginable scale.
"This was our treasure and it's gone," one man in Hawke's Bay cried to Newshub.
Their treasured valley was completely obliterated by the devastating cyclone. One year later, it's only the weeds in Hawke's Bay that are flourishing - but the community is standing strong.
About 100 of them gathered at Esk Valley's church on Wednesday morning.
"Today is about remembering what we lost and being grateful for what we have," one told Newshub.
Locals came together and planted a kowhai tree, known as a symbol of hope and growth.
Meanwhile in Hastings, many others came together with a minute's silence to mark the traumatic events of one year ago.
When Gabrielle unleashed herself across the region it was too much for the rivers - many stop banks broke and the raging waters surged into and over homes.
Locals saved hundreds of people from drowning and while some made it out alive, 11 others did not.
It was one night that changed hundreds of lives forever, and although some homes have been demolished, many are still frozen in time.
Residents like Steve Wheeler still own their land, but his insurance payout meant he could buy a new house.
He's moved 20 minutes away and Newshub went to visit him on Wednesday.
"We're terribly pleased we are where we are," Wheeler smiled.
"Quite excited that we are where we are, and processing that the change has been forced upon us."
However, it's a change that 82-year-old Ted Roberts is refusing to make.
"We're battling along, and we are getting our fences done," Roberts said.
"We're doing alright, we're not going anywhere."
Watch the full video above for more.
