Source: Radio New Zealand
Welcome Bay Rd weather damage on Thursday RNZ / Jamie Troughton
A rural Pāpāmoa resident says his family is worried about living in fear of another slip after his neighbour’s property was flattened by a landslide early yesterday morning.
Two bodies have since been recovered from a house on Welcome Bay Road.
Lindsay Putt, who lives on Welcome Bay Road, evacuated with his wife Zoe Beck, who is 34 weeks pregnant and their three-year-old daughter Willow at about 5am on Thursday after the landslide damaged neighbouring properties.
“We heard what we thought was thunder coming from above the hill behind our house. But you could hear it moving towards the driveway, and we put it together that it was rocks and debris, and it was a landslide. It was pretty close to home.”
Welcome Bay slip road closure. RNZ/Jimmy Ellingham
He estimated the falling debris missed them by about forty metres.
He said they did not know when they would be able to return to their home, and in the meantime, would be staying with family in Tauranga.
“We went back to the house and spoke to the cops who had cordoned off the road about what was happening and when we’ll be able to come back. They have our contact details and will let us know when it’s ok.
“This morning we could see a lot more damage because when it [the landslide] hit, it was dark, we couldn’t see anything.
“Just seeing the amount of slip behind our house is a bit daunting. If we move back in are we always going to be not sleeping properly or on edge because we don’t know if a little bit of rain overnight is going to get it moving again?”
He said he felt devastated for their neighbours, and the ordeal had left them quite shaken.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
