Evacuation, roads shut as flash floods hit Hawke's Bay

Author: NZ Herald,
Publish Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2018, 11:15am

KEY POINTS:

State Highway 5 between Napier and Taupo closed for the foreseeable future
Properties evacuated, including students from Hukarere Girls College
About 20 people have been evacuated from the Eskdale Holiday Park
Eskdale area north of Napier has been hit hard with severe surface flooding
More heavy rain are expected until around midnight tonight

Heavy rain has closed a number of roads around Hawke's Bay, including theNapier-Taupo road, as a severe weather hits the region.

The Eastern District Police this morning said State Highway 5 between Napier and Taupo would be closed for the foreseeable future due to surface flooding.

NZTA have announced Makahu Road is closed, and slips have closed Glengarry Road and Waipunga Road.

Motorists are advised to use alternative routes.

A number of Hawke's Bay Fire services have been called out to the Eskdale area north of Napier, and Rissington, to the east of Napier, where a number of properties have been flooded, a Hastings Fire spokesman said.

A number of people have self-evacuated from both these areas, and Patoka his morning.

The Eskdale area north of Napier has been hit hard with severe surface flooding, with the Eskdale river close to breaking its banks, and water run off from the surrounding hills.

A Hawke's Bay Regional Council spokesman said water levels for the Esk River are the highest since 2010.

A number of Eskdale properties are understood to be inundated with surface flooding. (Photo / Paul Taylor)

A number of properties have been evacuated, including students from Hukarere Girls College.

Eskdale Holiday Park owner Daniel Gale said they had spent the morning evacuating around 20 people from their river side site.

"It's worse than Bola, and we were here for Bola. It's still bucketing down and the camp is under water basically.

"We got everything out and all the people out, getting the people out was the main thing."

Mr Gale said they knew rain was on the way, but did not realise how extreme it would be until their river alarm went off about 6.30am, and the flooding started.

"There isn't much we can do now, I just hope it doesn't get higher."

He said they would have to start rebuilding next week, redoing all the grounds, and perhaps working on the water supplies, sewage pumps, and electrical lines.

Hawke's Bay Today understands a temporary shelter is being set up for local residents.

This morning around 60 Havelock North Intermediate students were evacuated from a school camp at Weka Point, Rissington.

Principal Julia Beaumont said the two classes had gone up to the camp yesterday, but it was decided this morning to bring them back to school.

"It was worsening so we decided to bring back the kids. They've come back to school now, and some have gone home because they're really tired, they had a rough night."

She said the school had not realized how severe the weather was going to be when the students left yesterday.