Cut off but not alone: remembering the storm in Lawrence

A year ago, on 23 October 2025, Doug Osborne thought Thursday would be a normal day. The morning had started beautifully with calm skies and sunshine. By lunchtime, everything had changed.

Speaking in the days after the storm, Doug described how quickly it unfolded.

“I watched the whirly winds flying around,” he said. “Then suddenly trees were crashing down across State Highway 1. Power lines were ripped off the substation. I thought, oh no, this is it. We’re stuck.”

Doug grew up in Lawrence and had seen his fair share of bad weather, but nothing like this.

“Never. I’ve never seen so many trees snapping in half and blowing over in my life.”

Within hours, his access to and from the town was completely blocked. Fallen trees cut off both ends of the road, leaving him isolated with no power, no water, and no way to call for help.

“We didn’t have cell phone coverage for nearly two days,” he said. “It was a nightmare. No water, no electricity, no sewage – nothing.”

At home with his kids, Doug did his best to keep things light.

“We’ve been playing a lot of Trouble and Snap,” he said at the time. “It wasn’t the weekend we planned, but you make do.”

When the New Zealand Red Cross team opened an emergency drop-in centre, it quickly became a lifeline.

“The community would be lost without Red Cross here,” Doug said. “Thank you. Without the internet, without being able to charge your phones, just having coffee – that helps. Not having a coffee is like … hard life!”

For Doug, the centre was more than a place to charge devices or grab a hot drink. It was a space to connect, breathe, and talk with others going through the same thing.

“I think a lot of people have just come down here for a coffee and a chat,” he said. “Just to be around people who feel the same.”

In the days that followed, roads began reopening and power started coming back on. After the chaos and uncertainty, people were slowly finding their footing again.

One year on, Doug’s experience is a reminder that when disaster strikes, even the simplest things can make a difference. A hot drink, somewhere to charge a phone and a chance to talk with others helped people feel a little less alone.

Thanks to our Disaster Response Alliance partners, ASB and Woolworths, whose support helps New Zealand Red Cross be ready to respond when communities need us.