Lizard News FEBRUARY 2023
FREE LOCAL NEWS... IN THE COMMUNITY
Te Puna • Whakamārama • Matakana Is • Ōmokoroa • Pahoia • Apata • Aongatete • Katikati • Tahāwai • Bowentown • Athenree • Waihī Beach
Deluge, deaths, destruction and delays
Rural and industrial sections were inundated as low-lying Te Puna Station Road was closed. Residents say pasture is ruined, stock is stranded, and the Wairoa River and Hakao Stream have been polluted. PHOTO: Jack Farrell.
By Matthew Farrell Residents of vulnerable homes in slipprone areas face several more days of weather worry after a period of unprecedented rainfall for the time of year. Just two weeks after former Cyclone Hale brought heavy rain and severe gales, particularly to Coromandel, Napier and Gisborne, another weather system brought a record 260mm of rain to parts of Auckland in one day. The equivalent of a whole summer’s normal rain fell on Friday, 27th January, with more through the weekend. At least four people died in the flood events, Auckland International Airport was closed, and Elton John’s concerts at Mount Smart were cancelled at the last
minute. Every fire engine in Auckland was in use as inundated streets and businesses were evacuated amid a state of emergency. Coromandel’s roads are suffering. A large section of SH25A Kōpū to Hikuai collapsed on Saturday afternoon. The Tapu-Coroglen and 309 roads were also closed. Closer to home, a house collapsed in Maungatapu on Saturday night, and residents were evacuated from others at risk. A freight train derailed in Te Puke, and State Highway 29 at Lower Kaimai was closed for the second time in two days after multiple slips. The One Love concert in Tauranga was cancelled, and all staff and residents of Waipuna
Hospice were evacuated as a precaution. With the Bay of Plenty already saturated, streams and the Wairoa river have risen rapidly. As well as flooding, there have been localised underslips and overslips, with multiple roads and footpaths impassable and others littered with tree and vegetation debris. Challenge Ōmokoroa was among 168 properties affected by a power outage on the Saturday morning. Ōmokoroa Golf Course cancelled Sunday’s opening day, closing the course with serious flooding around the front nine holes. Local orchardist Max Kehoe recorded 200ml of rainfall from Saturday to Monday morning. The Historic Village at 17th Avenue
was also out of bounds after falling victim to the deluge. Surf Lifesaving NZ was ready to deploy for any water rescues or evacuations of flooded houses after flooding at Walnut Avenue in Waihī Beach. If you have any flooding or slips to report, call 0800 WBOPDC – 0800 926 732. The District Council’s advice is to follow Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Waikato BoP for State Highway updates, MetService New Zealand for weather, Bay of Plenty and Taupō Police and Bay of Plenty Civil Defence for civil defence advice. For more photos of the flood damage fromaroundthearea, see pages 32/33.
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