Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate says the city is preparing for the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle and asks residents to take extra care with strong winds and heavy rain forecast for Hamilton.

There remains significant uncertainty on the path of the cyclone and its impacts on the Waikato region, but southeast winds are expected to approach or possibly exceed severe gale in exposed places. Waikato is under a Strong Wind Watch from midnight tomorrow (Sunday 12 February), which could be upgraded to an orange or possibly red warning in coming days. There are warnings and watches in place for Northland, Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula as well as other areas in the upper North Island.

“Council’s teams are monitoring the situation closely, taking proactive steps to reduce the impacts of the weather, and working with response agencies,” Mayor Southgate says.

“At the same time, there’s a lot our community can do to prepare for what this storm may bring.

“If the expected weather arrives, please stay indoors when possible and keep travel around the city to a minimum. Make sure you have a household emergency plan, check on friends, family and neighbours and follow the latest information from MetService, Civil Defence and Council,” Mayor Southgate says.

Intense rainfall can result in blockages to roadside drains across the city, causing street flooding and overflows.

“Small blockages in our stormwater system can occur during periods of heavy or prolonged rain, but this summer has been almost unprecedented in the amount of rain we have received and could expect” said Eeva-Liisa Wright, General Manager Infrastructure Operations at Council.

“As always, we have teams ready to clear blockages and surface flooding, and deal with any overflows in the stormwater and wastewater network or fallen trees and branches due to high winds.

“We encourage our community to check nearby drains when there is a break in the weather if they can do so safely, and if there is an issue, to please call our customer support team so that our crews can prioritise any immediate danger to people and properties.”

To report an issue residents can call the customer support team on 07 838 6699, however using the Antenno phone app will help to prevent Council phone lines from overloading. The Antenno app is free to download from the App Store and Google Play.

“When incidents happen we would like to know about them as soon as possible, but remember if you have an emergency to call 111 and ask for Fire,” said Wright.

“Please remember to follow the advice of Te Whatu Ora Waikato and keep out of floodwater and our waterways. Please also stay clear of gullies and streams as these areas can flood quickly in heavy rain events.”

“Delay any travel if you can but if you need to be out on our roads this weekend, drive to the conditions, take extra care, reduce your speed, and avoid flooded areas where possible. Above all else, we want all of our community to remain safe.”

As we prepare for this storm, it’s a timely reminder that emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere. Making a household plan lets you and your whanau be prepared. It’s easier for everyone, especially young people, if you have talked about steps you’ll take if the power goes out, if water supplies are disrupted, if you are isolated or even if you have to evacuate. Make a plan to get through, and have a kit ready for each member of the family, including pets.

To keep up with the latest information, follow:

• Waka Kotahi for updates on roads
• MetService for weather watches
• Civil Defence Waikato for emergencies
• Te Whatu Ora Waikato for public health alerts.

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