Residents in Te Karaka, inland from Gisborne in Tai Rāwhiti, are being asked to evacuate as the Waipaoa River rises, with flooding also affecting Hawke’s Bay’s Wairoa area, where police have reported a serious crash.
At about 6am on Sunday Tai Rāwhiti Civil Defence said the Waipaoa River level was creeping up to 7m.
Anyone in a low lying area or anyone who felt unsafe should evacuate now, taking their whānau with them as well as pets and pet food supplies, they said. Everyone else in the area should be prepared to evacuate if the river level reaches 7.5m.
Te Karaka Area School had been opened for anyone who needed somewhere to go and as the headquarters for iwi response team Mahaki Tiaki Tangata.
“Tairāwhiti Emergency Management and Māhaki Tiaki Tangata are closely watching the levels. We will update people as the situation changes,” Tai Rāwhiti Civil Defence posted.
Wairoa flooding and crash
In Hawke’s Bay, Wairoa District Council said early on Sunday that flooding was affecting parts of their area and an emergency response had been activated. The council urged anyone who felt unsafe to call 111.
An evacuation centre had been opened at the War Memorial Hall on Queen Street for anyone who needed shelter.
Waka Kotahi said slips had closed two sections of highway in the area: State Highway 2 at Wairoa west of The Crescent intersection and State Highway 38 north of Wairoa at the Awamate Road intersection.
Police said there had been a serious crash when a car collided with a slip on State Highway 2 at Wairoa, between The Crescent and Kiwi Valley Road.
Information on injuries was not yet available, but: “The slip is blocking the road completely and motorists are asked to delay travel,” police said in a statement.
A boil water notice was also in place for Wairoa’s Mahanga and Tuai areas.
Heavy rain warning extended to late Sunday morning
A MetService heavy rain warning was extended until late Sunday morning for Tai Rāwhiti-Gisborne and the Wairoa District of Hawke’s Bay.
“The rain may ease for a time between 7am and 9am then increase again before easing significantly late morning,” forecasters said.
The high rainfall could cause flooding and slips and driving conditions could be hazardous, while waterways could rise rapidly, MetService warned.
The heavy rain and rain warning began on Friday, and up to 180mm had been forecast to fall between Friday and early Sunday morning for some areas. And the extended warning said some areas could receive another 40mm of rain before 11am Sunday.
The region was vulnerable as it was already saturated, with significant downpours just two weeks ago.
Overnight between Saturday and Sunday the Waipaoa River fell a little before rising again as the rain came back in, Tai Rāwhiti Civil Defence said.
Where to find out more
If you are unsafe, call 111.
Anyone in Tai Rāwhiti can sign up here for text message civil defence warnings from the region’s Emergency Management office.
- MetService severe weather and watches
- Tai Rāwhiti Civil Defence Emergency Management updates on Facebook
- Waka Kotahi highway conditions and Waka Kotahi X (formerly Twitter) updates for Tai Rāwhiti - East Coast and Hawke’s Bay
- Gisborne District Council (GDC) Facebook updates
- GDC river level updates and live feeds of the Hikuwai, Waipaoa and Waimata rivers
- Wairoa District Council website and Facebook updates
- Mahaki Tiaki Tangata iwi response team Facebook updates