Corporal Storm Harrison joined the army to protect people, but he never imagined it would allow him to protect the ones he cares most about from raging floodwaters.

The former Regular Force soldier and current Army Reserve Force member was one of the first two New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) members to aid Esk Valley residents at the height of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Harrison and fellow 5/7 Battalion member Staff Sergeant Davey Forbes raced to Bay View Fire Station after hearing news the Esk River had burst on the morning of February 14.

“She was pretty chaotic down there, people running around, the volunteer firefighters were scrambling to get out, and the lights were out so people had torches,” Corporal Harrison said.

 “We said ‘we have got to go, people are screaming for help, we can hear them screaming from the rooftops’.”

The pair jumped into a Unimog truck with two firefighters and two police officers, then drove along a devastated State Highway 5.

After getting help from a local feller to get through fallen trees, the group made it to Eskdale School where they discovered around 20 carloads of safe but stranded people.

Harrison then proceeded to drive through the torrent to try and reach those trapped in their homes, but the Unimog’s headlights quickly became submerged.

With water gushing into the cab, Forbes made a heartbreaking decision.

“The water was too high, it was running too fast and water was coming up to the mog windscreen,” he said.

“We reversed back up. It was very frustrating to feel like we had failed.”

Surf lifesavers and locals with jet boats soon joined the rescue efforts, while the reservists backed the Unimog up to the school and transported those that were stranded to safety in Bay View.

As the sun started to rise, Harrison spotted a way through the floodwaters and rescued a woman and two children sheltering on their roof.

“They had been up there since midnight and by this time it was 10am … We had a quick chat as we got them into the truck and she said, ‘Thanks for coming, I thought we were over but as soon as I saw the Unimog turn up we knew we were alright’. That was a good feeling.”

Staff Sergeant Davey Forbes was made controller of NZDF resources for the Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups in Hawke’s Bay, and commended Corporal Harrison on his bravery. Photo / Supplied

When flood waters receded, Harrison and others spent the morning checking houses.

“You don’t really think about what’s on the other side of that door, you usually clear rooms with weapons but this time you’re breaking doors to search for people,” he said.

“But the motivation was ‘this is in our town, this is our home, these are our people we know’. So that’s what kept us moving.”

The response has been personal for both men, who live in the Napier area.

“I feel I had a lot of skin in the game, it’s our home, it’s our people, all you want to do is the best for them,” Forbes said.

“That night we didn’t understand the volume of it, we could only see what the Unimog could show us.”

He also commended Harrison for his bravery and selflessness.

“I can’t speak highly enough of Stormy. His actions saved the lives of a lot of our community.”

Harrison said his family had been amazing while he was out responding, and he’s grateful to have had his 5/7 Battalion comrades by his side.

“Rank is rank, but this is family, this is whānau.”