Evacuations considered as flooding hits East Coast 21st September

[JennyLeez]

Civil Defence authorities are considering evacuating residents from the East Coast settlement of Te Karaka as flooding hits the region.

Flooding has already forced the closure of roads and schools in the Gisborne region, and Civil Defence has warned motorists in the area to take extra care, with rain continuing to fall and rivers north and west of the city rising.

There are fears the situation may worsen with more rain expected Monday afternoon.

State Highway 35 was closed north of Wainui Beach, about 8km east of Gisborne, just before 9am.

Gisborne's Kaiti School was closed "due to flooding at the back of the school" and Tolaga Bay Area School, about 55km up the coast from Gisborne, was also closed on Monday after 17 staff were unable to get to work due to flooding.

Te Karaka Area School, about 30km north of the city, remained open but was encouraging parents to keep students at home.

"It is extremely wet, there is surface flooding everywhere and we feel students would be safer at home for the day," Te Karaka School said on its Facebook page.

Civil Defence said surface flooding has been reported across wide areas of the district with trees down in many places.

Speed restrictions were put in place at Makorori on Sunday night due to surface flooding in the area, and roading crews were out around the district keeping an eye on the situation.

On Monday morning, a car was swamped by floodwaters at Rototahi, south of Tolaga Bay, and a bus, with no children on board, was stuck at the top of the Waimata Valley.

The Hikuwai River north of Tolaga Bay was close to 8 metres at 8am and rising at one metre an hour. SH35 becomes flooded when the river reaches 12m. The river is forecast to peak at about 9m at around midday.

Gisborne Civil Defence Emergency Manager Louise Bennett said the area north of Tolaga Bay had received more rain than initially forecast.

Since 9am Sunday, the region had experienced significant rainfall with the highest at Pakarae (146mm), Whatatutu (140mm), Waerenga a Kuri (122mm), and Goodwins on the Waimata River (116mm).
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Residents and farmers in the worst affected areas had been advised of rising river levels.

Manhole covers had "overtopped" in parts of Gisborne and on Sunday night, council contractors opened discharge valves to release diluted wastewater to the Taruheru, Waimata and Turanganui rivers from the city sewer network. The council said this was done to avoid sewerage flowing back onto private property.

source: stuff.co.nz

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