Sodden district gets off lightly

The highest rainfall for some years has left the Gisborne region sodden, muddy and wet. While the rain has eased, a sunny day looks unlikely for the region until next Thursday.

The heavy rain warning was lifted this morning for all but the southern hills of the district where a further 40mm to 60mm is expected through to midnight tonight.

Gisborne Civil Defence controller Jon Davies said this morning he was pleased with the smooth way his team and emergency services had responded to the event.

“The region has come through lightly considering the volume of rain received throughout the district, which was the highest for some years. The forecast was bang on with the amount of rain predicted, with over 300mm in some areas.

“Over the next few days, we will still have a number of slips and slumps, surface flooding and road closures, which council contractors are working to clear. The whole area is saturated and drains are full. We advise extreme caution on the roads, particularly as surface flooding and showers will continue for a few days yet.

“We expect to see the full extent of the damage over the next day as people start to go outside again and discover slips and the like around their properties.”

Dozens of people were without power this morning in the northern part of the Gisborne region and seven people inland from Ruatoria were still cut off after their access road fell victim to the Mata River. Eastland Network is working to restore power to people in the Te Araroa, Waikura Valley and Mata Road areas. Temporary vehicle access for the isolated residents was to be assessed today.

The highest rainfall levels were north of Tolaga Bay at Hikuwai where 330mm of rain fell in two days. Since midnight Sunday, several parts of the region received more than 300mm of rain, with 140mm at Matawai and about 120mm in the city.

The Hikuwai River at Willow Flat reached a height of 12 metres at 1am this morning, after which rivers throughout the district began to recede.

Several roads remain closed and others are considered marginal for 4WD access. The Wharekopae Road is open but SH2 is closed between Wairoa and Napier. State highways in the region were reduced to single lane in several places.

Check Gisborne District Council’s website www.gdc.govt.nz for roading updates.

ENDS

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