The Te Wairoa township in Hawke’s Bay is enduring another severe weather event, with the second urgent evacuation warning in two years.
The township, split on two sides of the Wairoa River, is facing power outages and flooding of roads and homes alike.
In the flooding of February 14 last year during Cyclone Gabrielle, the region was heavily affected and left stranded for weeks with no communication in or out.
‘I haven’t ever seen it that bad!’
Wairoa resident Wikitoria Hauraki is caught in the midst of the carnage and says she is shocked at the impact the current flood is having already.
“I’m just looking out my window and I can see the river. You can see the bridge and I can see the river. I haven’t ever seen it that bad before,” she says.
The road between Te Wairoa and Napier is closed and the roads between Gisborne and the township are also under threat of closure.
Hauraki says the district is used to the events but should not have to be.
“You can actually see after Gabrielle there’s more of a flow going and our own as in Hinemihi are all ready - they’re like a well-oiled machine.”
This is the second major weather event across the East Coast.
Hauraki says the weather events should be putting into perrspective the damage external factors like forestry and waste disposal methods are impacting the land.
“If there’s a risk of flooding again, this is going to be really interesting and telling. I think we really need to look at all of the areas of flood protection and mitigation, with our taiao, with our rivers and going right back to all of our water tributaries.”
Wairoa District Council
According to the Wairoa District Council, 90 people have been evacuated from Kopu Road and McLean Street to the War Memorial Hall evacuation centre, with whānau with additional facilities also on standby throughout the district.
A helicopter has been deployed to check on hard-to-reach properties and people.
Additional iwi and response teams are on standby at locations throughout the district, the council says.
However, Hauraki urges whānau to keep in contact to ensure the safety of all people stuck in the mud.
“We can do this. We can get through this we’ve done it before. We’re all safe at the moment here in Wairoa and to all of our whanaunga up the coast in TK (Te Karaka) and Nūhaka and all of them just kia kaha - we’ve got this.”