How this year's major weather events showed me the power of local news

With 2026 in sight, I’ve been thinking about the past 12 months of reporting for The Mid North Coaster. And when it comes to stories that made me feel proud to be a journalist here, it’s hard to look past the multiple weather events our region has faced this year – and how the community rallied together to get through it.

Floods, fires, you name it – I’ve lived through them and seen it from a young age. Always aware of the happening, but rarely deep-diving into the impacts.

But this year, as a local reporter, I wasn’t able to shy away from the major flood events. While my home stayed dry on the inside, and my livelihood remained stable, the disaster was as palpable as ever. 

As a local I knew the floods in May were major, and was unsurprised by the record-breaking stats. As a local reporter, I knew the audience didn’t care about much else as the rain continued to fall and rivers rose. So I honed in, stayed up to date, and reported the power outages, the fallen bridges, the homes made uninhabitable, the CBDs underwater, the livestock lost. 

It was heartbreaking. It was emotionally draining. But it was important.

Like many others across the Mid North Coast, I was isolated. While we couldn’t drive to neighbours, or receive calls from loved ones, I felt I was helping connect our community. Providing answers to burning questions, and sharing stories of those directly impacted – not as clickbait or to tick boxes, but to listen to the voices of our farmers, our mothers, our mayors. Because I was on the ground, part of the community, and had the ability to do so. And, because I cared.

Once the water subsided, I visited the Kempsey Regional Saleyards where I met two local cattle farmers of different generations. Jack Henshaw said this years’ flood was worse than 2001. Fred Thurgood said it was worse than the 1949 flood. They spoke to me about the destruction caused and challenges ahead, not because they were the worst off, but because they wanted to show the need for government support.

Discussing the emotional toll of the event, Henshaw said: “It doesn't matter how strong you are, I've seen this break the strongest men I know and women. It is terrible.”

I still think about that sentiment today. To have a stranger open up to not only me, but to the community, made me feel proud of our people and this place.

I’m privileged to be in the position I am, and I hope my ongoing reporting helped in some way to bring the community together in tough times.