Jackie Fanning fled her home in the nick of time as a massive landslide ripped the house from its piles and spun it around to land on her van.
The Mangawhai Beach School teacher escaped with only the clothes she was wearing. In fact, it wasn鈥檛 until Fanning reached safety that she realised she had no shoes on.
Her ordeal unfolded as Mangawhai was slammed with up to 370mm of rainfall in the 24 hours to midnight on Friday. The deluge caused major slips and flooding that聽.
Fanning bought the house, perched on a slope, less than a year ago. Although the property is insured, getting her life back on track would require a lot of running around over a long period of time.
She is currently staying with her sister in Auckland while family and friends help raise much-needed funds for her.
础听聽set up on Saturday had raised just over $25,000 by 6pm yesterday for the much-loved teacher and community activist.
Fanning is an active member of the Mangawhai Waka Ama Club as well as the Marunui Conservation, dedicated to protecting native species in the area.
She had to navigate her 4WD through three patches of floodwaters as she drove home from work at around 3.30pm on Friday.
鈥淭he rain had stopped for about 30 minutes when I got home and I was like 鈥榯hank goodness鈥,鈥 Fanning said.
鈥淚 was glad because I had the downpipe open so there was no flooding. But it started raining and in five minutes, there was heaps of water.鈥
Jackie Fanning is still reeling from the sheer scale of destruction from landslides that destroyed her home. Photo / Supplied
Fanning went outside to move a generator to higher ground but when she returned to the lounge, she heard a big rumble.
鈥淚 thought a big tree had come down,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ecause I had lived in Christchurch, the thought of an earthquake also flashed through my mind.鈥
She looked out the back of her home and saw slips were a mere centimetre away from touching the back door.
鈥淚 looked up the hill and saw more come down. I then ran out but stupidly ran back in to turn the lights off.鈥
By the time Fanning got to the back doorstep a 鈥渂ig mudslide鈥 had closed in on the house.
鈥淏asically, I just ran with just the clothes I was wearing,鈥 she said.
鈥淭he slips were coming down as I was running.鈥
Fanning ran to a friend鈥檚 house.
鈥淭he slips were coming down as I was running", says Jackie Fanning. Photo / Supplied
She said she was 鈥減retty lucky鈥 as the worst slip happened after she had left.
When her friend looked at her home about an hour later, there had been four or five more slips that changed the landscape.
Her home had left its piles and rotated 90 degrees.
鈥淢y house is now at the ground level. My van was caught in another slide because it wasn鈥檛 where I鈥檇 parked it,鈥 Fanning said.
She plans to rebuild her house somewhere else and felt indebted to everyone who is supporting her with donations and other acts of kindness.
Fanning鈥檚 sister said in a social media post that their family all felt thankful to still have her with them.
The teacher鈥檚 friends and colleagues said she was a valued member of the Mangawhai community, where she also ran and promoted environmental education for children and their families.
Mangawhai Beach School deputy principal Emma Grieve said setting up the fundraising page was a team effort. They hoped to help Fanning rebuild her home, which she had worked hard for, and to help replace her lost belongings and van.
鈥淪he does so much for everybody else and now it鈥檚 our turn to help her. She鈥檚 the most loving, giving person ever.
鈥淧lease support us in supporting a beautiful lady who gives so much to others daily,鈥 Grieve said.
Mangawhai Waka Ama club treasurer Ingrid, who didn鈥檛 want her last name used, said Fanning has been a great community crusader.
Being a conservationist, she said it was ironic Fanning became a victim of mother nature.
鈥淪he lost her personal waka as well and we鈥檇 love to see her get a waka but there鈥檚 a lot of day-to-day things she鈥檒l initially need. Her insurance will pay for some of the stuff but sentimental things are hard to replace.鈥
Ingrid has known Fanning since the time both lived in Christchurch years ago, before moving to Mangawhai.
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