The Horowhenua Emergency Management Centre winds down for the night after co-ordinating the response to a tornado that ripped through Levin earlier this morning, affecting many individuals and properties. Focus will shift tomorrow to one of clean up and welfare support.

Fire and Emergency Management received 67 emergency 111 calls, with Council receiving 37 welfare calls over the day. All families and individuals who have reached out for support or accommodation needs are being looked after.

Horowhenua District Council is now calling on contractors with trucks and members of the community with trailers, or those just wanting to volunteer, to assist with a clean-up. Mayor Bernie Wanden says, “At a time when affected residents need help, we are calling on the generosity of the community.

Here’s what you need to know:

- Clean-up is from 9:00am – 12:00pm

- Meet at 15-23 Durham Street (carpark) at 9am Saturday 21 May

- Bring suitable safety and footwear

- You will be allocated to a group and street by the coordinator, and provided with a safety briefing prior to going out.”

Requests for Clean-up Assistance:

If you have had significant damage to your property, and would like assistance to clean it up, let us know and we will send a team out. Please make sure to contact your insurance provider and take photos of any damage.

You can request help by calling Horowhenua District Council at any time on 06 366 0999. Your details will be passed on to the Clean-up Team by a Customer Services team member.

Power:

As at 4.33pm today Horowhenua/Kāpiti have 487 properties without power. Visit outages.electra.co.nz for updates to power supply in the district. Please treat all power lines as live at all times.

Streets, roads and buildings that are closed:

· State Highway 57 is closed between Tararua Road and Queen Street (keep an eye on the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Central North Island Facebook Page for more information.)

· Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō will reopen tomorrow as per normal.

Council’s Civil Defence Emergency Management team will be back first thing in the morning to continue providing the ongoing support necessary.

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