Abstract
A year ago Cyclone Gabrielle struck Aotearoa New Zealand and it became the most costly weather-related disaster in the country’s history. Here we briefly consider its persisting long shadow in terms of: (i) ongoing disruption to lives and stress from housing damage; (ii) ongoing disruption to lives from infrastructure damage; and (iii) persisting economic damage (farmland and tourism sites). There is a need for much more central and local government investment in resilient infrastructure and to support managed retreat of those living in housing that is particularly vulnerable to flooding, slips and sea level rise.