16 NOVEMBER 2016

Lower Hutt looks to recovery

Lower Hutt was shaken by the North Canterbury earthquake on 14 November. The following day saw the city receive 78mm of rain in Lower Hutt and 93mm in Wainuiomata, causing widespread surface flooding and the Waiwhetu Stream rising above its banks in some parts. The Hutt River reached levels of almost 5.5 metres at Birchville at 1:30pm but was well contained within its stopbanks.

Lower Hutt Mayor Ray Wallace says, “The last 48 hours have been tough, with the earthquake and then extreme weather. The city has come through well, our communities have rallied and we’ve got through together. Our thanks go to all the contractors, Hutt City Council officers, and all the many volunteers working on behalf of the community.”

One of the areas worst affected was along a section of the Waiwhetu Stream, which rose above its banks in sections. At 1:30pm residents on Riverside Drive between the cross streets of Tilbury and Rumgay were advised to evacuate; three people were assisted in their evacuation and others made their own way out. A welfare centre at the Walter Nash Centre, Taita accommodated four people who had chosen to leave their property near the Waiwhetu Stream, they returned to their residence later in the day. The Waiwhetu Stream was reported to be back within its banks at 4pm.

There are 25 properties in this area reported to be affected by flooding. Council building inspectors are doing a door-to-door knock of these properties today to check on residents and assess any damage.

Mayor Wallace says, “I was out in the field yesterday at Riverside Drive. I was so impressed by people’s spirits and it was pleasing to see so many people looking after their neighbours.”

All roads in the city are now open, with contractors clearing up slips throughout today.

A burst water main on Udy Street in Petone is under repair, and there are no water outages in the city.

All Council facilities are open except for the Silverstream Landfill, which is unlikely to open before Friday due to fallen trees blocking the road and up to 40 more trees possibly requiring removal to ensure no further risk.

Council officers have completed assessment of the 59 earthquake-prone buildings registered in the city, and one of these buildings requires further inspection by an engineer. Council officers are now investigating any other buildings that they’ve been notified about.

Hutt City Council Building Manager Derek Kerite says, “If you’re the tenant of a building that you suspect has suffered structural damage please notify the owner in the first instance and then inform Council of the address. If a building does have structural damage the owner will need to get an engineer’s report, we can advise them on the steps they need to take. We really want to encourage tenants and owners to let us know of any concerns.”

The earthquake triggered a tsunami warning on 14 November. Lower Hutt’s sirens were activated at 2:35am and many residents self-evacuated to higher ground. The sirens were turned off at 3:06am.

When the sirens sound continuously (unlike the fire brigade siren) that's a signal that there are instructions for people, and they should go to credible sources for more information, such as the website www.getprepared.org.nz or radio stations.

If people live within a tsunami evacuation zone and experience a long earthquake (longer than a minute), or strong enough that they can't stand up, that may well be the only warning to evacuate, don't wait for sirens or any other signal. We advise people to make the decision to evacuate, preferably by foot than by car.

Mayor Ray Wallace says, “This is a timely reminder to us all to be prepared, with a plan and emergency supplies.

“We’ve still got a lot of cleaning up to do and we really want to encourage people to report any damage or other concerns.”

If people have any damage or other problems to report they should contact Council on 04 570 6666 or report it online huttcity.govt.nz/rap

The tsunami evacuation zone maps can be viewed at: www.getprepared.org.nz/tsunamievacuationzones

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