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Speaker 1: The storm for the most part, for the North Island

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Speaker 1: was a fizzer. The TV news the only thing they

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Speaker 1: were battling was the battle, the struggle to find pictures

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Speaker 1: of anything actually happening other than a few trees down

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Speaker 1: and reporters breathlessly doing pieces to camera in the wind

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Speaker 1: and Auckland or Isle of Most shops were closed in

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Speaker 1: my particular area, and they didn't need to be. There

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Speaker 1: is a risk here of the boy who cried wolf,

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Speaker 1: But I also don't think that we need to have

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Speaker 1: an existential national conversation about whether this was overhyped or not.

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Speaker 1: The forecasters do their thing, They tell you what is

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Speaker 1: coming or their best guess of what's coming. Then it's

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Speaker 1: up to us to make our own decisions based on

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Speaker 1: the information, based on our own experience and our personal judgment.

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Speaker 1: That's life. The businesses who decided to close yesterday before

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Speaker 1: anything it actually happened lost to day's trade. The ones

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Speaker 1: who didn't didn't. Maybe next time they'll make a different call.

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Speaker 1: After all, Auckland was only under an orange watch. The

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Speaker 1: media coverage was over the top. It always is. Remember

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Speaker 1: they make money off events like this. Eyeballs on screens.

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Speaker 1: I noticed before every video of on the stuff site

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Speaker 1: yesterday of the ocean lapping at a sand dune, there

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Speaker 1: was an ad for Tower Insurance paying for it. This

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Speaker 1: is what they do, and they will do what they do.

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Speaker 1: But you can't tell Met Service to not report the weather,

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Speaker 1: can you? Otherwise? What's the point in met Service? Now?

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Speaker 1: Damned if they do, and damned if they don't. Those forecasters.

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Speaker 1: We're all responsible ultimately for our own lives, and ultimately

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Speaker 1: we can decide if we're safe enough to stay home

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Speaker 1: or to go get a flat white from the local

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Speaker 1: Robert Harris and the Robert Harris can decide whether they open.

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Speaker 1: And if you want to go out kitesurfing or surfing

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Speaker 1: in the storm, all power to you. You might die

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Speaker 1: or you might have an awesome Sunday. Either way, it'll

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Speaker 1: be your informed choice. For more from Early Edition with

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Speaker 1: Ryan Bridge, listen live to News Talks it Be from

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Speaker 1: five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio