Showers forecast to continue along storm-hit East Coast, flooding forces hundreds of evacuations

Author: Benjamin Plummer and Rachel Maher,
Publish Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2024, 7:24am

Showers are set to continue today along a storm-hit East Coast after heavy rain and flooding forced hundreds of evacuations and left thousands of homes without power yesterday.

Local states of emergency are in effect for the Wairoa District and Heretaunga Ward of the Hastings District due to coastal inundation.

MetService meteorologist John Law said a deep low-pressure system continues to linger over the East Coast on Thursday morning, which will feed some showers and spells of rain, but they will not be “as intense”.

Large easterly swells are also forecast to affect coastal parts of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne/Tairāwhiti until Thursday night.

Erosion and coastal inundation are possible in some places, especially during high tides.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council said this morning that the threat of significant rain has now passed and there were “no major problems overnight”.

However, the council says it will be closely watching today’s 9.37am high tide.

“Some rain, at greatly reduced intensities, is likely to continue through to Friday,” the council wrote.

“The risk of river flooding has now subsided, and all rivers are either receding or returning to their tidal cycles.”

Orange heavy rain warnings over parts of Hawke’s Bay lapsed at 11pm last night after an earlier warning over Gisborne was cancelled.

MetService said no thunderstorms or significant convection were expected on Thursday.

The rest of the country should expect mostly clear skies today, with the potential for some showers in Southland.

Homes evacuated as local states of emergency declared

Local states of emergency were declared in the Wairoa District and Heretaunga Ward of the Hastings District due to coastal inundation on Wednesday morning. Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes on the East Coast and parts of Hawke’s Bay.

At its peak, Firstlight Network was responding to widespread power outages from south of Wairoa to Te Araroa affecting over 2000 customers.

Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery Mark Mitchell was yesterday assessing damage in Hawke’s Bay, Wairoa and Tairāwhiti - where more than 200mm of rain had fallen within 24 hours in some places.

Debris across the roads of Wairoa. Photo / Wairoa Incorporated WInc

Mitchell reported that 200 homes were evacuated by police overnight in the regions.

“What aggravated the rain was that there was a 6m swell,” he said.

“We’re trying to get up to Wairoa to provide support there.”

A car in floodwaters in Wairoa. Photo / Wairoa Incorporated WInc

The Waipaoa and Wairoa rivers surged past danger levels, several roads were closed due to flooding or slips and power had been shut off in Wairoa because rising water levels were putting substations at risk.

Wairoa residents were also urged not to “panic buy” at supermarkets.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little last night said more than 400 properties had been affected by flooding, including more than 100 homes that had been “significantly impacted”.

Government contributes $300,000 to help East Coast communities

The Government yesterday announced it would make a contribution of $300,000 to Mayoral Relief Funds to help communities in Hastings, Wairoa and Tairāwhiti.

“My thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted by this latest weather event,” Mitchell said.

“This is another tough blow for these communities who are still recovering from the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle last year.

“While it’s too early to know the full cost of the damage of this latest event, this funding contribution will help ensure there is minimal delay in getting support to those who need it.”

Mark Mitchell Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery (left) and Sandra Hazlehurst, Mayor of Hastings (right), talking at Haumoana fire station yesterday.

Labour spokeswoman for emergency management Camilla Belich welcomed the Government’s contribution.

“The communities of Wairoa, Hastings and Tairāwhiti affected by the weather events of the last 24 hours will need both local and central government support to recover,” Belich said.

“There will also need to be an ongoing commitment to greater resilience in these areas - we must protect these communities as the frequency and severity of events is only set to increase as the climate changes.”

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon yesterday spoke with mayors in Gisborne and Wairoa, where people were doing it tough amid the East Coast storm.

“I just want to make sure everyone understands there are some New Zealanders who are yet again doing it tough and showing a huge amount of resilience from a leadership point of view of local government, but also communities,” Luxon said.

On using the Mayoral Relief Fund to support the affected communities, Luxon said it would go up to $100,000 to Wairoa, Gisborne and Hastings, based on their needs.

“It’s a start. Mark’s down there he’ll give a good assessment of what’s further needed.”

“As you know, we had over $1 billion in the Budget to support the recovery there, and we also have a $7.5b multi-capital allowance that we can deploy as well.”

Meanwhile, three bodies were found on the Māhia shoreline yesterday morning, ending the hunt for fishermen who went missing on Monday.

On Wednesday afternoon police confirmed the bodies were those of the fishermen.

They were 37-year-old Elwood Higgins of Gisborne, 33-year-old Taina Sinoti of Te Hapara, and 38-year-old Damien Macpherson of Te Karaka.

Portland Island at Mahia with the three deceased fishermen Taina Sinoti (left), Elwood Higgins (centre) and Damien Macpherson. Composite photo / NZME

Earlier, two of them were spotted alive in huge seas on Tuesday.

The staff at Maritime NZ and its Rescue Co-ordination Centre yesterday morning extended their thoughts and condolences to those impacted by the tragic events off Gisborne.

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.

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