Source: Radio New Zealand
Julia Sudnitskaya / 123RF
Tolaga Bay Civil Defence is cooking breakfast for the evacuees who have spent the night at the Area School’s gymnasium.
State Highway 35 is still closed on Sunday, after heavy flooding in the Tai Rāwhiti region overnight.
The 30 remaining evacuees at Tolaga Bay Area School are a mix of travellers who were caught out when the road closed, and campers evacuated from the Tolaga Bay Holiday Park.
Ūawa deputy civil defence officer Nori Parata told RNZ the rain had been torrential.
“We had to open up the base because there are a number of travellers that had got caught with the road closure, and also didn’t have appropriate vehicles for that kind of situation.
“But equally we also had the holiday camp [at Tolaga Bay] needed to evacuate people that were camping in tents down there.
“So I think we’ve got about 80 people in our gym between the travellers and the campers.”
Parata said there were plenty of mattresses in the school gym for evacuees and anyone caught out by the flooding, and the civil defence base was well-equipped with kai and other supplies.
“We’re set up to cater in these emergencies. This is not our first rodeo.”
Parata said the Tolaga Bay Holiday Park had just reopened this season after recovering from Cyclone Gabrielle three years ago.
Shanan Gray from Tolaga Bay Civil Defence hoped the worst was over on Sunday.
He told RNZ that it had been pelting down overnight, but had since eased.
“The wind is quite heavy at the moment, so hopefully it is pushing the rain out to sea,” he said.
MetService meterologist Braydon White said rain of more than 50 millimetres an hour had fallen in Tolaga Bay since 8pm on Saturday.
While the orange-level heavy rain warning had expired at 8am, White said there had been some reasonably large accumulations of rainfall on Sunday morning too, especially on the East Cape.
Ūawa Civil Defence has warned on Facebook that the wharf bridge was “underwater and dangerous”.
“Do not go near it or try to cross. Please stay home, stay off the roads, and keep yourself safe.”
Gisborne residents told to be prepared
Meanwhile, Tai Rāwhiti Civil Defence is monitoring the situation in the city of Gisborne.
In a video message, the Tai Rāwhiti emergency management controller Ben Green said the focus was on the Taruheru River, which flowed through Gisborne City.
It was at 4.26m at 11pm, and the level of concern that posed a risk to low-lying properties was 4.5m, so it would be under monitoring overnight.
“What we’re asking people to do is adopt a ‘be prepared’ and cautious approach to really monitoring the river.
“If you haven’t already done so, check in with your neighbours. Make sure that they’re aware of what the current situation is. In the worst case if you do feel unsafe then, certainly, proactively evacuate if you are uncomfortable with that situation.”
Green said Fire and Emergency had been keeping people informed on Fergusson Drive and other low-lying streets.
He said people could sign up for text alerts through the Gisborne District Council website.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
